Calls grow for international action as Iran carries out record number of executions
Iran’s use of the death penalty reached a record high in 2024, with at least 975 executions carried out, according to a newly released report by the Iran Human Rights Organization (IHR) and the French NGO Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort (ECPM).
This figure marks a 17% increase compared to 2023 and represents the highest number of executions in over two decades.
“The death penalty serves as the basis for many human rights violations in Iran. It is used as an instrument to oppress and intimidate society,” said Mahmud Amiry-Moghaddam, head of the Norway-based IHR, speaking to DW.
The Iranian regime continues to use capital punishment not only for serious crimes such as murder, but also in cases of self-defence killings and, increasingly, against political activists.
Amiry-Moghaddam warned that Iran’s authorities exploit periods of global instability to intensify their execution campaign. He pointed to the last quarter of 2024, when tensions between Iran and Israel escalated, noting that as many as six people were executed per day during that period.
Global condemnation as executions surge
The UN has condemned the sharp rise in executions, with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk describing the situation as “deeply disturbing” in January 2025.
His office reported that 40 people were executed in a single week in December 2024, a particularly brutal period of state killings.
Notably, the number of women executed reached its highest level since 2007, with 31 female executions recorded last year. Many of these women had been sentenced to death for killing their husbands, often in self-defence against domestic abuse, forced marriage, or sexual violence.
One such case highlighted by Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, involved a woman who killed her husband to protect her daughter from sexual abuse.
Growing resistance against the death penalty
Despite the intensifying crackdown, resistance against the death penalty is gaining momentum within Iran.
Notable human rights activists, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, have repeatedly urged public protests against the rising number of executions.
On 19 February 2025, activists gathered outside Evin Prison in Tehran—a notorious detention centre known for housing political prisoners. The demonstration was held in solidarity with detainees who protest against capital punishment every week.
A key initiative has emerged from within Iran’s prisons themselves. The “Tuesdays Without Executions” campaign, launched a few months ago by prisoners, aims to raise awareness and mobilise opposition to capital punishment.
“For the first time in Iran’s history, prisoners are leading a protest movement against the death penalty. This could be the beginning of a broader social movement,” Amiry-Moghaddam noted.
Legal experts and activists condemn death sentences
In a joint statement, prominent Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and religious scholar Sedighe Vasmaghi strongly condemned the death sentences imposed on female political prisoners.
“These sentences are a clear act of revenge against the protest movement and the slogan ‘Women, Life, Freedom,’” they wrote.
Meanwhile, 228 Iranian lawyers issued an open letter to Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, denouncing the death sentences of Pakhsan Azizi, Varisheh Moradi (Mirzaei), and Sharifeh Mohammadi.
These three women were arrested for participating in political protests and sentenced to death in fast-track trials, which human rights groups have condemned as grossly unfair.
In their letter, the lawyers asserted that they were acting not only as legal professionals but also out of moral responsibility, stating:
“These sentences not only violate Islamic and humanitarian values but also Iran’s international obligations to uphold the right to life and a fair trial.”
Death penalty at the centre of diplomatic pressure
Amid mounting concerns, human rights organisations have called on the international community to make Iran’s execution spree a priority in diplomatic negotiations.
The Iran Human Rights Organization (IHR) and ECPM urged liberal democratic states to take a stronger stance against Iran’s widespread use of capital punishment.
“The international community must condemn this wave of executions and support the growing resistance against the death penalty in Iran,” they stated.
Amiry-Moghaddam also called for both short- and long-term strategies to pressure Iran’s government into reforming its laws and abolishing the death penalty.
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Executions for drug offences spark outrage
One of the most alarming trends in Iran’s use of capital punishment is the high number of executions for drug-related crimes.
Of the 975 people executed in 2024, at least 503 were convicted of drug offences—more than half of all executions that year.
Despite this, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) continues to collaborate with Iranian authorities on counter-narcotics efforts. This has led to growing criticism from human rights organisations, which argue that the UN must do more to prevent drug offenders from being sentenced to death.
Activists have urged the UNODC to **either demand a moratorium on drug-related executions or end its cooperation with the Iranian government altogether.
A grim future without intervention
With executions at record levels and resistance movements under threat, Iran remains at a crossroads.
Without strong international intervention, activists fear that the wave of state-sanctioned killings will continue unabated—silencing opposition and deepening oppression in the country.
For the Iranian people, and especially those on death row, the fight against the death penalty is not just about legal reform—it is a struggle for survival.
