Iran Executions Surged to Thirty Year High in 2025 with Over 1,600 Deaths Reported

NGOs report 1,639 executions in Iran in 2025, a 68% increase from 2024. Rights groups warn capital punishment is being used to suppress domestic protest.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 13, 2026, 2:42 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

Unprecedented Surge in Capital Punishment Statistics

The Islamic Republic of Iran carried out at least 1,639 executions during the 2025 calendar year, according to a joint report by Norway based Iran Human Rights and Paris based Together Against the Death Penalty. This figure represents an average of more than four hangings per day and is the highest number recorded since the early years of the Islamic Revolution in 1989. The NGOs emphasized that these numbers serve as an absolute minimum, as many executions are not officially disclosed by state media and require verification from multiple independent sources.

Drastic Increase in Deaths Compared to Previous Year

The 2025 data reveals a 68 percent rise in executions compared to 2024, when 975 people were put to death. Among those executed in the past year were 48 women who were killed by hanging. Human rights advocates suggest that this escalation is a direct response to the current crises facing the government, including the ongoing war against Israel and the United States. The report warns that if the current administration survives these external pressures, the use of the death penalty may become even more extensive as a mechanism for domestic control.

Impact of January Protests on Capital Sentencing

The rise in executions coincides with a period of intense domestic instability, specifically following widespread protests in January 2026. Rights groups indicate that the crackdown on these demonstrations resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests. Hundreds of those detained during the quashed protests remain at significant risk of receiving death sentences, as the state frequently utilizes capital charges against those accused of participating in anti authority movements.