About 95% of executions were carried out secretly — without official announcements from the authorities.
In 2025, at least 1,922 death sentences were carried out in Iran — the highest number since 2015. This data is contained in the annual statistical report by Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) on the human rights situation in the country.
According to human rights defenders, the number of executions increased by 106.6% compared to 2024, despite the fact that the number of death sentences handed down, on the contrary, decreased. In 2025, courts sentenced 168 people to death, which is 21.4% less than the previous year.
The report notes that about 95% of executions were carried out secretly — without official announcements from the authorities. Human rights defenders explain that such cases are recorded based on information from independent sources: relatives of the convicted, lawyers, prisoners, prison staff, as well as regional human rights networks and local media. In some cases, the data is confirmed by several independent channels, however, HRA emphasizes that due to the closed nature of the system, the actual number of executions may be higher.
According to the report, 47.55% of those executed were convicted of murder, 46.1% for drug-related offenses. Sentences related to threats to state security — including cases of terrorism, espionage, and participation in armed rebellion — accounted for less than 3% of executions. Human rights defenders also report that at least two of those executed were minors at the time of the alleged crime, which contradicts Iran's international obligations. Ten executions in 2025 were carried out publicly.
HRA notes that the sharp increase in the number of death sentences carried out reflects an overall trend of tightening repressive policies and an increased application of the death penalty against the backdrop of decreasing transparency in the judicial and penitentiary system.
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