Iran Executed 1,639 People in 2025, Highest Number in 36 Years

Iran executed 1,639 people in 2025, according to a joint report by the nonprofit Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty. This figure marks a doubling from 2024 and the highest annual total in 36 years, last exceeded during the post-war period in 1989 when approximately 1,700 political prisoners were executed.

The report estimates that executions occurred at a rate of at least four per day throughout the year.

It does not specify how many were public, but notes that the majority involved hangings for drug-related offenses or murder. Drug-related convictions leading to execution increased by 58% compared to 2024, while murder convictions, which typically result in execution, rose by 79%.

Increases in Specific Categories At least 57 individuals, including two protesters, received death sentences for charges such as “waging war against God” and “corruption on Earth.

” The report states that at least 48 women were executed, the highest number in 20 years. A bulk of the death sentences were issued by Revolutionary Courts following trials described in the report as unfair and lacking due process. Marginalized groups, including ethnic and religious minorities, were disproportionately affected among those executed.

The report does not include executions ordered since January 2026, following a nationwide revolt and the start of conflict involving the US and Israel. State media confirmed at least 14 executions in 2026 so far.

Recent Developments and Protests Evidence from a human rights organization indicates as many as 160 hangings since January 2026.

Seven of the known executions linked to protest activity occurred after an operation launched in late February. Six other victims were convicted of membership in an exiled opposition group, and one was accused of spying for Israel. Up to 7,000 protesters were killed during the regime's crackdown in the winter, according to a US-based human rights agency, with thousands more cases under investigation.

Just last week, Iran's chief justice demanded expedited processing of death penalty cases for “agents and affiliates of the enemy,” which includes protesters.

Historical Context The 2025 total surpasses previous highs since the end of Iran's war against Iraq in 1988.

The report attributes the rise to higher conviction rates in key offense categories and broader application of capital punishment. Executions for political reasons, including protest-related activities, continued amid ongoing unrest. The nonprofits emphasize the lack of transparency and due process in judicial proceedings.