In brief
A recent report reveals that Iran executed at least 1,639 individuals in 2025, marking the highest number since 1989. This represents a 68% increase from the previous year, with drug-related offenses and security charges among the leading causes of execution. The Iranian authorities' intensifying use of capital punishment has raised alarms among human rights organizations, particularly in the aftermath of protests and ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Iran executed at least 1,639 people last year, the highest number recorded there since 1989, according to two non-governmental organizations. This total represents an increase of 68% compared to 2024, where 975 executions were documented, according to a report by Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (EPCM).
The vast majority of those executed were convicted of drug-related offenses or murder. Alarmingly, at least 57 individuals were convicted of security-related charges, including two known protesters.
The NGOs have warned that the Iranian authorities may escalate their use of the death penalty in the wake of protests that erupted in January and ongoing conflicts involving the US and Israel.
Since the beginning of the unrest on February 28, seven individuals have been executed in direct connection with protests where thousands of demonstrators were killed and tens of thousands detained during a severe crackdown by security forces.
Additionally, several members of the exiled opposition group Mujahideen-e Khalq (MEK) have been executed, along with individuals convicted of espionage for Israel.
With Iran holding the position of the world's second most prolific executioner after China, where exact figures remain a mystery, the reported increase in executions in Iran signifies a worrying trend in human rights abuses.
The recent report highlighted that 795 of the executed were sentenced for drug-related crimes, a 58% increase from the previous year, and 747 were convicted of murder, marking a 79% increase. Disturbingly, at least 48 women were executed, indicating a significant rise in gender-targeted capital punishment.
IHR and EPCM also emphasize that marginalized groups, particularly ethnic minorities, are disproportionately represented among those executed. Over half of the executions stemmed from sentences passed by Revolutionary Courts, which the NGOs describe as being characterized by "grossly unfair trials and without due process."
The organizations warn that if the Islamic Republic endures the ongoing crises, there is a significant risk that executions will be further utilized as tools for oppression and repression.
Currently, at least 16 individuals sentenced to death in connection with the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests remain at risk of execution. In addition, 27 others have received death sentences over recent protests, while hundreds more are facing charges that could result in the death penalty.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of IHR, stated that the Iranian people's rights must feature prominently in any international negotiations regarding the country's future, stressing that a moratorium on the death penalty and the release of political prisoners should be top priorities.
