HRANA – The death sentences of four prisoners, who had previously been sentenced to death in separate cases on charges of murder and drug-related offenses, were carried out in Tabriz Prison on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
According to HRANA, citing Iran Human Rights Organization, four prisoners were executed in Tabriz Central Prison on the morning of Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
The prisoners have been identified as Milad Safari, 39, a father of two; Ebrahim Khazali; Ahmadreza Zivari, 47; and Sadegh Hatami, 41.
According to the report, Milad Safari and Ebrahim Khazali had been sentenced to death in separate murder cases. Mr. Safari, a father of two, had been in detention for five years, while Mr. Khazali had been held for eight years.
Additionally, Ahmadreza Zivari and Sadegh Hatami had been sentenced to death in separate cases involving drug-related offenses. Before his arrest approximately two years ago, Mr. Zivari worked as a passenger driver. Mr. Hatami worked as a school transport driver for children before his arrest and had been imprisoned for approximately four years.
As of the time of this report, the executions have not been officially announced by prison officials or the relevant authorities.
Between October 10, 2025, and October 8, 2026, HRANA documented at least 2,003 executions across Iran, based on 1,857 reports, representing an increase of approximately 29% compared to the previous reporting period. During the same period, HRANA also documented 230 death sentences. For more detailed statistics and analysis of executions in Iran, read HRANA’s latest comprehensive report.
HRANA – The death sentence of Amirhassan Akbari-Monfared, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, has been upheld by Branch 41 of the Supreme Court.
According to HRANA,Branch 41 of the Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of political prisoner Amirhassan Akbari-Monfared and communicated to him in prison on October 11, 2026. In July of this year, he was sentenced to death by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, on charges of baghi(armed rebellion) through membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
Amirhassan Akbari-Monfared was arrested alongside his father, Mohammad Akbari-Monfared, his brother Amirhossein, and his sister Zeinab by Ministry of Intelligence agents in Karaj during the winter of 2025. Some time later, three members of his family were released on bail.
No information has yet been obtained regarding the specific charges brought against the other members of his family. However, a source familiar with the situation of these political defendants previously told HRANA that they were facing security-related charges.
Mohammad Akbari-Monfared, aged approximately 58, Amirhossein Akbari-Monfared, 33, Zeinab Akbari-Monfared, 30, and Amirhassan Akbari-Monfared are all residents of Karaj.
HRANA – Yesterday, Monday, October 12, 2026, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted of non-political offenses was carried out in Hamedan Prison.
HRANA has confirmed the identity of the prisoner, who was hanged at dawn today, Monday, October 12, as Mehdi Mirzaei.
According to information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Mirzaei had previously been arrested on charges related to non-political offenses and was subsequently sentenced to death by judicial authorities.
Mirzaei’s Obituary Notice
As of the time of this report, the execution has not been officially announced by prison officials or the relevant authorities.
Between October 10, 2025, and October 8, 2026, HRANA documented at least 2,003 executions across Iran, based on 1,857 reports, representing an increase of approximately 29% compared to the previous reporting period. During the same period, HRANA also documented 230 death sentences. For more detailed statistics and analysis of executions in Iran, read HRANA’s latest comprehensive report.
HRANA – At dawn today, two prisoners who had previously been sentenced to death on drug-related charges were executed in Kerman Prison.
According to HRANA, citing Haal Vsh, a prisoner was executed at dawn on Monday, October 12, 2026, in Kerman Prison. He has been identified as Amin Khajeh-Nezami, 33, son of Mehdi, the father of three children, from Rigan County.
According to the report, Mr. Khajeh-Nezami was arrested in Kerman in 2022 on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Kerman.
The Balochistan Human Rights Documentation Network identified the second prisoner as Habibollah Ghanbarzehi Farjad, 38, a married father from Zahedan.
According to the report, Mr. Ghanbarzahi Farjad was arrested in Kerman in November 2023 on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by judicial authorities. He worked as a driver and had denied the charges against him.
His family visited Kerman Prison on the evening of yesterday, for a final meeting with him. Mai Sato, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, had previously expressed concern over the possibility of Habibollah Ghanbarzehi Farjad’s execution.
At the time of this report, the executions had not been officially announced by prison authorities or other relevant institutions.
Between October 10, 2025, and October 8, 2026, HRANA documented at least 2,003 executions across Iran, based on 1,857 reports, representing an increase of approximately 29% compared to the previous reporting period. During the same period, HRANA also documented 230 death sentences. For more detailed statistics and analysis of executions in Iran, read HRANA’s latest comprehensive report.
HRANA – Today, October 12, 2026, the Judiciary’s Media Center announced the execution of Omar Dorostaran, a security-related defendant from Rask County. The judiciary-affiliated outlet identified him as a member of an armed opposition group.
According to HRANA, citing Mizan News Agency, Omar Dorostaran has been executed.
The report did not specify the charges against Dorostaran but stated that he had been sentenced to death by the judiciary, that the verdict had been upheld by the Supreme Court, and that the sentence had been carried out.
The Judiciary’s Media Center claimed that Dorostaran was an active member of Jaish al-Adl and had played a key role in several of the group’s operations, including attacks on the Rask police headquarters, the IRGC headquarters in Rask, the Parud base, and military facilities in Chabahar in April 2024.
According to the news agency’s allegations, Dorostaran’s activities included arranging accommodation for group members, facilitating their entry into Iran, transporting operational teams to carry out armed attacks, procuring weapons and ammunition, and identifying military facilities as potential targets.
The report did not specify the exact date of the execution or the prison where the sentence was carried out.
Omar Dorostaran was arrested by security forces in Rask County on April 8, 2024. After 60 days in detention, he was transferred to the quarantine ward of Zahedan Prison. In October of the same year, he was transferred from prison to the IRGC Intelligence Organization’s detention facility in Zahedan for interrogation.
At the time of his arrest, the police commander of Sistan and Baluchestan Province accused Dorostaran of inciting public sentiment, insulting the police, and disrespecting officers who had been killed during clashes between law enforcement personnel and armed individuals in Sib and Suran County. Several social media channels affiliated with security institutions also published an image of Dorostaran, alleging that he had walked past the scene of the deadly confrontation while laughing.
Omar Dorostaran, son of Abdolghader, was a religious seminary student in the city of Pishin and a resident of Cheraghan village in Rask County. He was 25 years old at the time of his arrest.
Between October 10, 2025, and October 8, 2026, HRANA documented at least 2,003 executions across Iran, based on 1,857 reports, representing an increase of approximately 29% compared to the previous reporting period. During the same period, HRANA also documented 230 death sentences. For more detailed statistics and analysis of executions in Iran, read HRANA’s latest comprehensive report.
HRANA – Marking the World Day Against the Death Penalty, the Statistics Center of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) has released its annual report on the use of capital punishment in Iran. The findings point to a sharp intensification in executions, continued secrecy surrounding implementation of death sentences, and an increase in political and security-related executions.
Between October 10, 2025 and October 8, 2026, HRANA documented at least 2,003 executions across Iran on the basis of 1,857 reports, an increase of approximately 29% compared with the previous reporting period. During the same period, 230 people were documented as having been sentenced to death. The full report also includes detailed statistical analysis, profiles of political and security-related executions, and documentation concerning judicial officials involved in issuing or upholding death sentences.
Executions in Iran: Key Figures
Indicator
Data
Total executions documented
2,003
Change from previous period
Approximately 29% increase
Average frequency of execution
Approximately one person every 4.35 hours
Death sentences issued
230
Women executed
47
Juvenile offenders executed
4
Public executions
9
Political and security-related executions
69
Executions unannounced by official sources
Approximately 95%
Rising Executions and the Monthly Pattern
The 2,003 executions documented during the current reporting period represent the highest total recorded across the ten reporting periods examined in the report. Compared with 1,553 executions in 2024–2025, the total increased by approximately 29%. The current figure is also more than 182% above the ten-period average of 710 executions.
Monthly data show that executions peaked in December 2025. By contrast, March 2026 recorded the lowest total among complete months. The October 2026 figure covers only the first seven days of the month and therefore should not be compared directly with full-month totals.
CHART 1 — Monthly Executions
Charges: Murder and Drug Offenses Dominate
The distribution of charges resulting in execution shows a notable shift from the previous period. According to HRANA documentation, 57.56% of those executed were convicted of murder and 36.25% of drug-related offenses. Political and security-related moharebeh or baghi charges accounted for 2.40%; other or unknown charges for 1.10%; security charges including espionage, assassination or bombing for 0.90%; rape for 0.80%; non-political moharebeh for 0.80%; efsad-e fel-arz (corruption on earth) for 0.15%; and economic crimes for 0.05%.
Taken together, murder and drug-related offenses account for more than 93% of all documented executions. At the same time, the increase in political and security-related executions, and the connection of a significant number of those cases to protests, stands out as a defining feature of the current reporting period.
CHART 2 — Executions by Charge
Geography of Executions: Concentration in Several Provinces and Prisons
By location of execution, Razavi Khorasan recorded the highest number with 200 executions, followed by Isfahan with 164 and Alborz with 123. Fars recorded 119, Khuzestan 112 and Lorestan 102. These figures are calculated on the basis of prison location and do not necessarily reflect the place of residence or alleged offense of the person executed.
Per-capita figures provide a different picture, particularly in smaller provinces. The report cautions that prisoner transfers and executions carried out outside a prisoner’s province of origin can inflate provincial rates. Tehran is not included in the per-capita table because no executions were recorded there, and 30 executions with an unknown province were excluded from that calculation.
At the prison level, Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan and Adelabad Prison in Shiraz recorded the highest numbers of executions. The spread of executions across dozens of prisons, alongside clear concentration in several facilities, illustrates both the nationwide scope and localized intensity of the death penalty.
CHART 3 — Executions by Province
Secrecy, Public Executions and Gender
One of the report’s most significant findings is the continued lack of official transparency. Approximately 95% of documented executions were carried out secretly or without announcement in official or domestic media, while only about 5% were reported through official or domestic sources. This pattern sharply limits public oversight and independent assessment of execution practices.
Of the 2,003 executions documented, 9 were carried out in public, representing about 0.4% of the total. Forty-seven women were executed during the reporting period. Four people whose identities and case histories were verified were under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged offense. Overall, 2.3% of those executed were women, 88.8% were men, and the gender of 8.9% remained unknown in the available data.
In relation to sentencing, HRA documented 230 people sentenced to death. At least 16 of those sentenced were women, 6 were sentenced to public execution, and 74 death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court.
Ten-Year Trend: The Highest Recorded Level
A review of ten reporting periods shows that, after executions declined from 505 in 2016–2017 to 238 in 2018–2019, the trend turned upward from 2019–2020 onward. The totals then rose through 249, 272, 528, 664, 823 and 1,553 before reaching 2,003 in 2025–2026.
This trajectory places the current one-year increase within a longer pattern of escalation. Continued restrictions on access to official information, together with the very high share of unannounced executions, mean that the documented figures should be understood as the minimum that could be independently verified rather than necessarily the complete number of executions carried out.
CHART 4 — Ten-Year Execution Trend
69 Political and Security-Related Executions
During the reporting period, HRANA documented 69 people executed on political and security-related charges. Of these, 35 people — approximately 51% — were executed in connection with the January 2026 (Dey 1404) protests. Twenty-nine people were executed in April and May 2026 alone, with 14 in April and 15 in May, marking the peak of executions in this category.
Among these 69 cases, 29 people were executed on charges of moharebeh, either alone or alongside other charges. Where the province was known, Alborz accounted for the largest share with 19 cases, followed by Isfahan with 10. The province was unknown in 20 cases.
The full report provides an individual case card for each of the 69 people, setting out the charge, date of execution, case background, province or city, and prison where available. This case-level documentation allows the aggregate figures to be examined in greater detail and shows the diversity of charges and case backgrounds included within the political and security-related category.
Judicial Actors Involved in Issuing or Upholding Death Sentences
For the first time in this format of the annual report, a dedicated section documents judges and courts identified in death-penalty cases. This research covers October 10, 2025 through September 26, 2026, meaning that its documentation window ends twelve days before the October 8, 2026 cutoff used for the report’s main statistical sections.
HRA’s review found that several judges identified during the current period had also appeared in earlier political, security-related or protest cases involving death sentences. Among the examples examined are Abolghasem Salavati of Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Iman Afshari of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Vahid Hemmatnejad of Branch 5 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, Ahmad Darvish-Goftar of Branch 1 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court, Reza Najafzadeh of Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court, and Seyed Mahmoud Sadati of Branch 1 of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court.
The report emphasizes that this list is not exhaustive. Iranian authorities routinely withhold information about capital proceedings, and public reporting often fails to identify the presiding judge or even the relevant branch. Accordingly, the absence of a judge’s name from the report should not be read as evidence that the judge was not involved; rather, it reflects the limits of independently verifiable information.
A separate section also addresses Supreme Court review and distinguishes between issuing a death sentence at trial and later upholding or reviewing that sentence. The available documentation identifies judges from Branches 9, 20, 39 and 41 of the Supreme Court in connection with specific death-penalty cases.
Methodology and Data Limitations
HRA’s Statistics Center relies on HRANA reporting, a nationwide volunteer network, verified open-source material, and official judicial announcements. Because independent human rights groups cannot operate freely in Iran, access to prisons and courts is restricted, and many executions are deliberately concealed, a margin of error is unavoidable.
The figures in this report therefore reflect the capacity of civil society to document and independently verify executions rather than a claim to a flawless count of every execution carried out. The fact that approximately 95% of executions were not announced by official sources underscores the importance of independent monitoring and verification in assessing the true scale of capital punishment in Iran.
Access the Full Report
The full report contains detailed statistical tables, charts, provincial and prison-level data, profiles of all 69 people executed on political and security-related charges, and the section documenting judicial officials. For case details, sources and supporting data, download and read the complete report.
HRANA – The death sentences of five prisoners, including a woman, who had previously been sentenced to death in separate murder cases, were carried out in Dezful and Sari prisons.
According to HRANA, citing Iran Human Rights Organization, a prisoner was executed at Dezful Prison on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
The prisoner has been identified as Ahmad Nikdel, 44, a father of three.
According to the report, Mr. Nikdel was arrested three years ago on charges of murdering one of his colleagues in an honor-related killing and was subsequently sentenced to death.
Number of Executions at Sari Prison Rises to Two
Iran Human Rights Organization reported that two prisoners, including a woman, were executed at Sari Prison on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
On that day, Shahram Fazlollah-Tabar, 35, father of two, and a female prisoner identified as Ashraf Faraji, 57, a native of Ahvaz, a resident of Sari, and a mother of four, were executed.
According to the report, Mr. Fazlollah-Tabar was arrested approximately four years ago on charges of murder following a dispute and physical altercation. He was ultimately sentenced to death by judicial authorities.
Ms. Faraji, who suffered from mental health issues and was under medical care, killed her husband in 2022 during an argument and physical altercation. She was subsequently arrested and sentenced to death by Branch 2 of the Sari Criminal Court. The verdict was ultimately upheld by Branch 6 of the Supreme Court.
Two Prisoners Executed at Dezful Prison on September 23, 2026
According to Iran Human Rights Organization, on September 23, 2026, Emad Mirdoraghi, 28, a resident of Andimeshk, andMohammadreza Aziz-Haji, 30, a native of Dezful, were hanged at the city’s prison.
Ten years ago, Emad Mirdoraghi entered a house with the intention of committing theft. An elderly woman who was inside the house suffered a fatal stroke after being frightened. He was subsequently sentenced to death by judicial authorities on murder charges in connection with the incident. He was approximately 18 years old at the time of his arrest.
Four years earlier, Mr. Aziz-Haji had killed one person and caused permanent bodily injury to another during a dispute over financial matters. He was subsequently sentenced to death by judicial authorities.
As of the time of this report, the executions of these prisoners have not been officially announced by prison authorities or other relevant institutions.
According to HRA’s Annual Report, in 2025 at least 2,063 citizens, including 61 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the sentences of 11 individuals were carried out in public. During the same period, 172 other individuals were sentenced to death.
HRANA – Yesterday, October 8, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted of non-political offenses was carried out at Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.
According to HRANA, a prisoner was executed at Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.
HRANA has confirmed the identity of the prisoner, who was hanged at dawn yesterday, Thursday, October 8, as Mehdi Alizadeh.
According to the report, Mr. Alizadeh had previously been arrested on non-political charges and subsequently sentenced to death by judicial authorities.
As of the time of this report, the execution has not been officially announced by prison authorities or other relevant institutions.
Alizadeh’s Obituary Notice
According to HRA’s Annual Report, in 2025 at least 2,063 citizens, including 61 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the sentences of 11 individuals were carried out in public. During the same period, 172 other individuals were sentenced to death.
HRANA – At dawn today, the death sentence of a prisoner who had previously been sentenced to death on a murder charge was carried out in Jiroft Prison.
According to HRANA, citing the Balochistan Human Rights Documentation Network, a prisoner was executed in Jiroft Prison at dawn today, Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
He has been identified as Abbas Anjamrooz, 28, a resident of Jiroft.
According to the report, Abbas Anjamrooz was arrested approximately five years ago on a murder charge stemming from an altercation involving a firearm and was subsequently sentenced to death by a judicial authority.
As of the time of this report, the prisoner’s execution has not been officially announced by prison authorities or other relevant institutions.
According to HRA’s Annual Report, in 2025 at least 2,063 citizens, including 61 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the sentences of 11 individuals were carried out in public. During the same period, 172 other individuals were sentenced to death.
HRANA – Mohsen Babaeian, a prisoner held in Greater Tehran Prison and one of those arrested during the January 2026 protests, has been sentenced to death by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on the charge of “moharebeh” (enmity against God).
Based on information received by HRANA, Mr. Babaeian was sentenced to death on the charge of “moharebeh” (enmity against God) by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. The ruling was communicated to Mohsen Babaeian yesterday.
Mohsen Babaeian is currently being held in Greater Tehran Prison.
HRANA is reviewing further details regarding his case, the date of his arrest, and the judicial proceedings against him.
He was previously arrested during the January 2026 protests.
Background on January 2026 Protests:
It should be noted that protests and strikes by shopkeepers and bazaar merchants began in Tehran on Sunday, December 28, 2025, and within two days spread beyond markets and commercial centers. With the participation of students, citizens, and various social groups, these protests became one of the largest protest movements of recent years. Following the crackdown by security and law enforcement forces, thousands were killed or injured, and tens of thousands were arrested or summoned by security agencies. For more information, readers may refer to HRANA’s comprehensive report titled “Crimson Winter,” documenting the first fifty days following the outbreak of Iran’s nationwide protests.
