Iran’s execution rate skyrockets to alarming levels in 2024, raising serious human rights concerns and international condemnation.
At a Glance
- Iran executed at least 975 people in 2024, a 17% increase from 2023
- This is the highest number since Iran Human Rights (IHR) began recording in 2008
- 31 women were executed, the highest number in 17 years
- Executions are seen as a tool for political oppression and instilling fear
- An average of five people were executed daily in the last three months of 2024
Record-Breaking Executions in Iran
In a shocking development, Iran’s use of capital punishment reached unprecedented levels in 2024. According to a report by Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and French group Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), at least 975 people were executed in Iran last year. This marks a disturbing 17% increase from the 834 executions recorded in 2023, setting a new record since IHR began documenting executions in 2008.
The surge in executions has raised alarm bells among human rights organizations and the international community. Iran is now considered the world’s second most prolific executioner after China, with an average of five people being put to death daily in the last three months of 2024. This escalation comes amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel, further complicating the geopolitical landscape.
Women and Public Executions
The report reveals disturbing trends in Iran’s application of the death penalty. Of those executed, four individuals were hanged publicly, a practice that continues to draw international condemnation. Even more alarming is the execution of 31 women, the highest number in 17 years. This surge in female executions underscores the regime’s intensified use of capital punishment across all segments of society.
“These executions are part of the Islamic republic’s war against its own people to maintain its grip on power,” IHR Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said.
The Islamic Republic’s judicial system, based on sharia law established after the 1979 revolution, includes a wide range of offenses punishable by death. These include murder, rape, drug offenses, and more ambiguous charges such as “corruption on earth” and “rebellion.” The broad application of the death penalty, often through hanging, serves as a potent tool for suppressing dissent and maintaining control over the population.
Political Suppression and Protest-Related Executions
The surge in executions is widely seen as a strategy to quell political dissent and discourage further protests. This crackdown intensified following the nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. In 2024, at least two executions were directly linked to these protests. Mohammad Ghobadlu and Gholamreza Rasaei were put to death in connection with the 2022 demonstrations, amid allegations of flawed trials and torture.
Human rights groups warn that the actual number of executions may be even higher than reported. The IHR suggests there could have been an additional 39 executions in 2024 that could not be independently verified. Moreover, the trend shows no signs of slowing down, with at least 121 executions already carried out in the first months of 2025.
The international community has expressed deep concern over Iran’s escalating use of the death penalty. Human rights organizations are calling for increased pressure on the Iranian regime to halt executions and reform its judicial system. The use of capital punishment as a means of political control and suppression of dissent stands in stark contrast to global efforts to abolish or limit the practice.
