Category: News

Annual Report on Execution in Iran: Marking the World Day Against the Death Penalty

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Executions, News, Publications
NoDeathPenalty, WorldDayAgainstDeathPenalty

HRANA- On the World Day against the Death Penalty, the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) has published its annual report in an effort to inform the public about situation of the death penalty in Iran, particularly thousands of individuals facing the death penalty and awaiting looming executions.

HRA’s Statistics Center relies on the work of HRANA reporters, as well as a network of independent and verifiable sources. It also incorporates the judicial authorities’ announcements or confirmations of prisoner executions on media, and as such, is exposed to a margin of error representing efforts by the Iranian authorities to omit, conceal, or restrict the collection of such data.

Between October 10, 2024, and October 8, 2025, at least 1537 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, rising to 86.07% compared to the same period last year. Of these executions, 8 were carried out in public. The defendants were deprived of the right to a fair trial.

HRANA obtained 1314 reports regarding executions and death penalty in Iran during this period. The identified executed individuals, include 49 women and 3 juvenile offenders under the age of 18 at the time of alleged crime. Compared to the last period, the execution of female offenders has increased 113%.

According to the reports obtained by HRANA, over this period, Iranian authorities sentenced at least 191 defendants to death penalty, including at least 14 women, and 4 individuals to public execution. Death sentences issued increased by 2.6% compared to the last year. In the reporting period, the Supreme Court additionally upheld 54 previously imposed death sentences.

As illustrated in the chart below, based on the number of individuals executed, the highest number of reports were published in September 2025, while the most significant drop in the number of reports occurred in October 2025. since only one-third of the month has passed, these statistics may change by the end of the current month.

As illustrated in the chart below, based on the number of collected reports, the highest number of reports on violations in this area were published in September 2025, while the most significant drop in the number of reports was observed in October 2025. since only one-third of the month has passed, these statistics may change by the end of the current month.

Based on the collected information, 48.34% of the executed individuals were sentenced on drug-related charges, and 43.46% on murder charges in Iran. Additionally, 2.15% were executed on charges of rape, 1.89% on unknown charges, 1.69% on Moharebeh or Baghi (political-security related) charges, 0.85% on non-political Moharebeh charges, 0.85% on security-related charges (espionage, terrorism, or bombing), 0.52% on corruption on earth, 0.2% on armed robbery, and 0.07% on ideological, political, or religious charges.


The pie chart below displays execution numbers by the province in which they took place. According to this chart, the Alborz (where three overcrowded prisons are located) had the highest number of executions at 14.57%. Isfahan and Fars Provinces come second and third, with 8.39% and 7.87%, respectively.

The table below shows the execution rate per 100,000 people in the provinces of Iran, based on the number of executions and the population of each province. This table provides a comparison of the implementation of death sentences across different provinces and identifies those with the highest execution rates relative to their population, which can serve as an indicator of the intensity of judicial enforcement in various regions of the country.

Execution Rate per Capita in Iran’s Provinces Based on the Number of Executions and Population

The chart below depicts the distribution of executions’ information sources. The chart indicates that 94.14% of HRANA-confirmed executions were not announced by the official Iranian sources. Undisclosed executions are referred to as “secret” executions.

The chart down shows the execution numbers by gender.

 

The chart below displays execution numbers by the prison where the executions were carried out. The Qezel Hesar Prison of Karaj And Dastgerd Prison of Esfahan officials have carried out the highest number.

The chart below displays percentage of executions carried out in public vs the number of executions that were carried out in prison. According to statistics, 0.52% of the executions in Iran were carried out in public.

Ten-Year Trend of Executions in Iran (2014–2025)

Although there have been periods of relative decline in the number of executions within the reporting period, the overall trend indicates a continuous increase and a return to high levels of capital punishment enforcement.

According to data from the Statistics Department of Human Rights Activists (HRA), after a noticeable decline between 2015 and 2019, the number of executions began to rise again starting in 2021. This increase peaked in the period of 2024–2025, with at least 1,537 executions recorded,  the highest number documented in the past decade.

Compared to the previous year (823 cases), the number of executions has increased by more than 86%, also showing a significant rise compared to the ten-year annual average. These figures have been recorded despite the continued lack of access to official and transparent information in this field, and a substantial portion of executions have been carried out secretly or without public disclosure.

According to data from the Statistics Department of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), over the past ten-year period, drug-related charges and intentional murder have accounted for the highest share of executions carried out in the country. This is despite the fact that, based on the 2017 amendment to the Anti-Narcotics Law, projections had anticipated a decrease in executions in this category.

During this period, a significant portion of executions were related to drug offenses, followed by intentional murder as the second most common charge. Other charges, including rape, armed robbery, moharebeh, corruption on earth, security and political offenses, as well as crimes related to sexual conduct or alcohol—have comprised a smaller share of the total executions.

 

 

Download the annual report in PDF format.

On the occasion of the World Day Against the Death Penalty, Human Rights Activists in Iran issued a statement calling for urgent and coordinated action by the international community to halt the ten-year wave of executions, reform domestic laws, hold perpetrators of extrajudicial executions accountable, and take unified international measures to confront the growing wave of executions in Iran. Click here to read the full text of the statement.

Nine Prisoners Executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj

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Executions, News
Ghezel Hesar prison, HRANA, Karaj, Mahmoud Valiollah

HRANA- On Wednesday, October 8, nine prisoners were executed by hanging in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

According to HRANA, four of the executed individuals had been sentenced to death on drug-related charges, four on murder charges, and one on a charge of rape.

The identity of one of the prisoners has been confirmed as Ahmadi Mohammadi, who was convicted on drug-related charges. HRANA has also identified another prisoner as Mahmoud Valiollah, who had been arrested on a murder charge.

A close relative of Mr. Valiollah told HRANA: “Mahmoud was the father of a 16-year-old son and two daughters, aged 6 and 10. He had lived in Tehran for many years. In the summer of 2021, he shot and killed his wife. He was eventually arrested and sentenced to death by the Criminal Court.”

The Hamshahri daily reported that one of the other executed prisoners was a man who, in March 2024, killed the wife of one of his colleagues during a robbery. He was arrested, sentenced to death, and his sentence was carried out in prison.

According to the same source, another executed prisoner was a man named Pedram, who three years earlier had killed the woman he was romantically interested in in order to steal her Tiggo car and buried her body in the Taleqan desert. He was arrested, tried, sentenced to death, and executed at dawn on Wednesday.

Hamshahri also reported that another of those executed was a man who had been arrested about seven years ago on charges of killing a young woman over a financial dispute. Her body was later found along the Tehran–Qom highway. The man was executed early Wednesday morning following his trial and sentencing.

In addition, Hamshahri reported that one of the executed prisoners had been arrested on charges of raping one of his relatives.

Since the beginning of this year, 183 people have been executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison alone, a figure unprecedented in comparison to previous years.

Following Acquittal on Espionage Charges, Lennart Monterlos Released

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News, Prisoners
Bandar-Abbas, Cécile Kohler, Hormozgan, Jacques Paris, Lennart Christian Jean-Pierre Monterlos, Lennart Monterlos

HRANA – Lennart Monterlos (Lennart Christian Jean-Pierre Monterlos), a German national who also holds French citizenship, has been released following his acquittal by the Bandar Abbas Revolutionary Court. He had been arrested on charges of “espionage” during the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced the news today, stating: “Our compatriot, Lennart Monterlos, has finally been freed. He had been detained in Iran since June 16. The people of France share in the relief and happiness of him and his family. I thank everyone who worked for his release.”

President Macron also referred to the continued detention of Cécile Kohler and her husband Jacques Paris, two members of the French teachers’ and education union, calling their detention in Iran arbitrary and urging their immediate release.

ISNA News Agency, citing sources close to Monterlos’s case, reported that he is expected to return to France on Thursday.

On Monday, October 6, Mojtaba Ghahremani, the head of the Hormozgan Provincial Judiciary, announced that the Bandar Abbas Revolutionary Court had acquitted this German-French citizen of espionage charges.

Ghahremani stated: “Despite an indictment issued by the prosecutor’s office, the Revolutionary Court – based on legal principles and in light of doubts regarding the alleged offense -issued a verdict of acquittal. However, under the law, the prosecutor has the right to appeal the ruling.”

During that conflict, a German-language news outlet covering France and global affairs reported that Monterlus, an 18-year-old French national, had traveled to Iran by bicycle and had gone missing on June 16. Shortly thereafter, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed in an interview with a French publication that this citizen had been arrested in Iran.

Nahid Behroozi, a Baha’i Citizen, Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizen, HRANA, Kachouei Prison, Karaj Revolutionary Court, Nahid Behroozi, ناهید بهروزی

HRANA – Nahid Behroozi (Forouhari), a Baha’i citizen residing in Karaj, has been sentenced to five years in prison and additional penalties by Branch 4 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court.

According to the verdict, which was recently issued and officially communicated to her on Monday, October 6, 2025 (14 Mehr 1403), Ms. Behroozi was sentenced to five years of imprisonment under Article 500 (repeated) of the Islamic Penal Code for “educational or proselytizing activities deemed deviant and contrary to or disruptive of the sacred religion of Islam.”

In addition to the prison term, the court imposed complementary punishments, including ten years’ deprivation of social rights and the confiscation of her seized belongings—such as electronic devices and religious books.

Ms. Behroozi was arrested on July 29, 2024, by agents of the Fardis branch of the Ministry of Intelligence while on a street in Karaj. Following her arrest, security agents searched her home. After completing interrogation at The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, she was transferred to Kachouei Prison on August 15, 2024. She was released from Kachouei Prison on October 1, 2024, upon posting bail.

Appeal Court Upholds 25-Year Prison Sentence for Baha’i Citizen Rouya Sabet

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News, Religious Minorities
Adelabad Prison, Baha'i citizen, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Rouya Sabet, Shiraz, رویا ثابت

HRANA – The 25-year prison sentence of Rouya Sabet, a Baha’i citizen residing in Shiraz, has been upheld in full by Branch 37 of the Fars Province Court of Appeals.

The ruling, issued on September 23 by the appellate court, has since been officially communicated to Ms. Sabet. According to the verdict, she received 10 years in prison for each of the charges of “collaboration and communication with Israeli nationals and institutions” and “forming and running a group with the intent to act against national security.” She was also sentenced to five years in prison for “religious propaganda activity contrary to the Sharia of Islam.”

As complementary punishments, Ms. Sabet was handed a two-year travel ban (including passport cancellation), five years’ deprivation of social rights, and a ban on online activity.

The verdict is final. Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the heaviest sentence, 10 years of imprisonment, will be enforceable.

On May 28, 2024, Branch 1 of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court had initially sentenced Ms. Sabet to 25 years in prison along with additional penalties on the same charges.

Rouya Sabet, a Baha’i citizen residing in the United Arab Emirates, was summoned and arrested by the IRGC Intelligence Organization in Shiraz on February 15, 2024, while visiting the city. She was released approximately five months later from Adelabad Prison in Shiraz after posting bail.

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Four Prisoners Executed in Dastgerd Prison of Isfahan

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Executions, News
Abolfazl Lerni, Ahmad Arzani, Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan

HRANA- On Monday, October 6, four prisoners were executed in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of two of the executed prisoners as Abolfazl Lerni and Ahmad Arzani. All four prisoners had been arrested and sentenced to death on drug-related charges.

Further details, including the identities of the other two executed prisoners, are currently being investigated by HRANA.

As of this report’s publication, the executions have not been announced by prison officials or relevant authorities.

According to HRANA’s statistics, in 2024, 61 inmates were hanged in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan – a 74% increase compared to the previous year. This sharp rise reflects a disturbing escalation in executions at this facility.

Ehsan Rostami Continues Hunger Strike in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Ehsan Rostami, Harsin, احسان رستمی

HRANA – Ehsan Rostami, a cultural activist from Harsin, Kermanshah Province, remains held in Ward 209 of Evin Prison in a state of legal uncertainty. After a prolonged lack of information about his situation, his family recently learned of his ongoing hunger strike and have requested an in-person visit to ensure his well-being.

According to information received by HRANA, Rostami is currently on the seventh day of his hunger strike in Ward 209 of Evin Prison.

A source close to his family confirmed to HRANA:

“Mr. Rostami’s family had been unaware of his location and condition for a long time. They have now learned that he is being held in Ward 209 of Evin Prison in poor physical health and began a hunger strike on Wednesday, October 2, to protest the uncertainty surrounding his case and the pressure exerted by interrogators.”

Rostami’s family has reportedly visited the Evin Prosecutor’s Office to request a meeting with him to verify his health condition. However, judicial and security authorities have yet to provide a clear response.

Ehsan Rostami was arrested by security forces in Tehran on August 19. Since his detention, he has been denied family visits by order of Naser Jalayer Sartaghi, the investigator of Branch 5 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office.

HRANA’s data from the past decade shows that during this ten-year period, over 2,050 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Iran prisons have been forced to go on hunger strike in protest of various abuses—including prolonged detention, being held in legal limbo, unfair trials, poor prison conditions, and being held in solitary confinement or alongside inmates convicted of violent crimes.

Four Prisoners Executed in Malayer, Sabzevar, Saveh, and Qom Prisons

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Executions
HRANA, Malayer, Qom, Sabzevar, Saveh

HRANA- In recent days, four prisoners were executed in the prisons of Malayer, Sabzevar, Saveh, and Qom on charges related to drug offenses and murder.

According to HRANA, on Sunday, October 5, a prisoner identified as Sobhan Najafi was hanged in Malayer Prison, Hamadan Province. Based on information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Najafi had previously been arrested on a murder charge and later sentenced to death by a criminal court.

The following day, a prisoner named Reza Saqaei was executed in Sabzevar Prison, Razavi Khorasan Province, for drug-related offenses. On the same day, another prisoner, whose last name was verified by HRANA as Hosseini, was executed in Saveh Prison on murder charges.

Finally, on Tuesday, October 7, authorities at Qom Prison executed a prisoner identified as Farzad (last name unknown) for drug-related offenses.

As of this report’s publication, none of these executions have been announced by prison officials or judicial authorities.

From the beginning of this year until the end of September, the Iranian regime has executed 1,028 people, marking an unprecedented increase compared to previous years.

Two Prisoners Executed in Kermanshah Prison on Drug-Related Charges

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Executions, News
Arsalan Khani, Kermanshah prison

HRANA – At dawn on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, two prisoners previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges were executed in Kermanshah Prison.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of the executed prisoners as Arsalan Khani and Ghasem (last name unknown).

Based on information obtained by HRANA, both men had been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by Revolutionary Courts.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been officially announced by prison authorities or other responsible institutions. According to HRANA reports, in 2024, only 6% of executions were announced by official bodies or domestic media outlets. Over the past five years, 77% of executions have gone unreported – commonly referred to as secret executions. In some of these cases, the lack of transparency is so severe that the death-row prisoners are denied even the chance for a final visit with their families.

From the beginning of this year until the end of September, the Iranian regime has executed 1,028 people, marking an unprecedented increase compared to previous years.

Forced Confession and Security Accusations Against Amirhossein Mousavi Broadcast on State TV

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News, Prisoners
Abolghasem Salavati, Amirhossein Mousavi, Evin Prison, Reza Shafakhah

HRANA – The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) has released a video featuring the forced confession of Amirhossein Mousavi, a political detainee held in Evin Prison.

According to HRANA, IRIB aired a video of Amirhossein Mousavi, in which efforts are made to portray him as involved in espionage and intelligence cooperation with Israel. Mousavi, appearing under apparent duress, describes his social media activities and voices remorse. The video claims he exchanged information with individuals linked to Israel during the 12-day war – despite the fact that his arrest took place roughly six months before that conflict began.

In September 2025, Mousavi’s case was referred to Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, following an indictment on charges of “assembly and collusion to act against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.” He also faces a separate charge of “insulting sacred beliefs,” which falls under the jurisdiction of the Tehran Province Criminal Court One. His lawyer previously announced that the first court hearing is scheduled for November 2, 2025.

A source close to Mousavi’s family told HRANA: “After ten months of investigation by Branch 5 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of District 33 in Tehran, his case was referred to the mentioned court branch with bail increased to 10 billion tomans.”

Earlier, Mousavi’s defense attorney, Reza Shafakhah, had shared updates regarding his client’s continued legal uncertainty and prolonged detention.

Mousavi, a Tehran resident approximately 41 years old, was arrested on December 18, 2024, at Mehrabad Airport while preparing to travel to Kish Island. His lawyer has stated that Mousavi’s account on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) had been under surveillance for nearly six months and that his arrest stemmed from his activity there.

Before his arrest, Amirhossein Mousavi was active on X under the handle “James B Dean.”