Death Penalty News

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 19 June 2026: Pejman Saedi, a Kurdish man convicted of murder based on a qassameh ceremony after being exonerated, was executed in Qorveh Prison. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Qorveh Prison on 12 January 2026. His identity has been established as Pejman Soltani, a 21-year-old Kurdish man from Dehgolan. He was arrested around three years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

High number of Iran executions in 2021 signals worsening rights condition More than 140 countries have agreed to abolish the death penalty, according to Amnesty International. The Iranian regime, however, holds the world record for both executions of women and the highest per capita execution rate. The death penalty is a violation of Articles 3 and 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which emphasize the right to life of every human being. It is also contrary to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Iranian regime continues to use the death penalty as a tool to intimidate and repress dissidents; And many regime officials also defend it. RELATED | Iran’s Dismal Human Rights In 2021 – OpEd In his first news conference after the June 2021 election, the regime’s president Ebrahim Raisi, who is responsible for the massacre of political prisoners in 1988 and other crimes against humanity, defends himself over the executions and said that he should be reward...

October 10 is World Day Against the Death Penalty. More than 140 countries have agreed to abolish the death penalty, according to Amnesty International. The Iranian regime, however, holds the world record for both executions of women and the highest per capita execution rate. The death penalty is a violation of Articles 3 and 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which emphasize the right to life of every human being. It is also contrary to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Iranian regime continues to use the death penalty as a tool to intimidate and repress dissidents. And many regime officials also defend it. In his 1st news conference after the June 2021 election, the regime’s president Ebrahim Raisi, who is responsible for the massacre of political prisoners in 1988 and other crimes against humanity, defends himself over the executions and said that he should be rewarded for defending people’s rights and security. Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, t...

Ali Mardan Boland Gerami who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder through a qassameh ceremony, has been executed in Yasuj Central Prison. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed on murder charges in Yasuj Central Prison on the morning of September 8. His identity has been established as Ali Mardan Boland Gerami. According to HRANA news agency which first published the news, Ali Mardan Boland Gerami was arrested 4 years ago for the murder of his wife. According to an informed source, his wife had died in her sleep around four years ago. After being transferred to the hospital, her time of death was determined as an hour earlier.  According to the forensic pathologist, the cause of death was internal bleeding and there was a 50% chance that it was due to being beaten, but there was no sign of force on the body. However, the judge at the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Provincial Criminal Court determined that there was 'los.' Los c...

Iran Human Rights (IHR); May 23, 2021: Saleh Shariati, a juvenile offender arrested at 16 and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) based on a qassameh despite witnesses testimonies of his innocence, has been acquitted after spending eight years on death row. According to Iran Human Rights, juvenile offender Saleh Shariati who has been on death row for murder in Shiraz Central Prison since being arrested at 16, has been acquitted by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court.  In April 2012, Saleh was around 16 years old when he went to help his father on a farm in Bushehr for seasonal work. He was standing by a well when another worker fell into it and died. Confirming the news, his lawyer Abdolrasoul Jahankhah told IHR: “The Supreme Court found  breaches in the case which were rectified and ultimately, Branch 39 of the Court issued the acquittal after investigating the witness testimonies.” “A 15-year-old child was tortured to confess in a police station in the presence of the “victi...

Iran Human Rights (IHR); May 4, 2021: IHR's Annual Report of the Death Penalty in Iran sets out the procedures in the issuance of death sentences by Iran’s judicial system. ➤ Read the full report (pdf) Access to lawyer Article 35 of the Iranian Constitution grants access to lawyers. The Criminal Procedure Code drafted in 2013 and the 2015 amendments address, among others, a suspect’s right to access a lawyer in the pre-trial phase.[1] Article 48 of the Criminal Procedure Code states: “When a suspect is arrested, he or she can request the presence of a lawyer. The lawyer, observing the secret nature of the investigation and the negotiations between the parties, should meet with the suspect. At the end of the meeting, which should not last more than one hour, the lawyer may submit his or her written notes to be included in the case file.” However, a note added in the final draft places limitations on the suspect’s rights to choose a lawyer. The amended note says: “In cases of crimes ...

Iran Human Right (IHR); April 24, 2020: From January 1 to April 23, 2020, at least 84 people have been executed in Iran.  It is higher than the similar time period in 2019 and 2018. At least 33 people have been hanged in Iran after Coronavirus pandemic reached the country.  Since the government forbids gathering to avoid physical contacts and further spread of the virus, holding a funeral for the executed people is not possible for the mourning families. Iran reported its first confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections on 19 February 2020. At least 33 executions have been carried out between February 19 and April 23. IHR warns against a new wave of executions in the coming months. IHR director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, said: "the Islamic Republic authorities expect more protests with increasing public anger and demands for change, over their mismanagement of the Coronavirus pandemic, economic situation and the vast corruption. The authorities use the deat...

A woman suspected of murdering her husband was sentenced to death in Iran based solely on Qsameh, the state-run ISNA news agency reported Monday.  Citing that the case has “procedural and substantive” defects, the woman’s attorney Abdulsamad Khorramshahi who was cited by ISNA said they have submitted an appeal and the case will be reviewed by the Supreme Court.  According to the report, Khorramshahi had previously said about the case that his client was accused of having fatally poisoned her husband and child but there was no evidence to prove the accusations.  Khorramshahi said on January 30, 2019 that a forensics report showed that the woman’s husband and child were poisoned but it did not specify the type of poison and the poisoning may be due to gas leakage.  The lawyer has stated that his client has denied all the accusations. Furthermore, there is no solid evidence that proves her guilt.  At the request of the victims’ relat...

IRAN HUMAN RIGHTS (MARCH 2018): The 10th annual report on the death penalty in Iran by Iran Human Rights (IHR) shows that in 2017 at least 517 people were executed in the Islamic Republic of Iran.  With an average of more than one execution every day and more than one execution per 167.000 inhabitants in 2017, Iran remained the country with the highest number of executions per capita. At least two of the defendants who were executed for murder in 2017 were sentenced to death without any evidence against them but solely based on an oath given by the plaintiff's family members.  In one of the cases, the defendant insisted that he was innocent and that he could prove that he was in another city at the time of the offence. However, 50 members of the plaintiff’s family gave an oath that the defendant was guilty. He was sentenced to death and executed in Mashhad on May 23, 2017. Qassameh is a way to prove a crime (murder or injury) in the Islamic jurisprudence (...