Iran Executes 1,639 in 2025, Highest Since 1989: Report

Iran executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, the highest annual total since 1989, according to a joint report released Monday by the Norway-based Iran Human Rights organization and the Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty. The figure marks a 68 percent increase from the 975 executions recorded in 2024 and represents an average of more than four per day, with researchers describing it as an absolute minimum due to verification challenges in the country.

The report, which has tracked executions annually since 2008, attributes the surge to the Iranian authorities' use of capital punishment as a tool to instill fear and suppress dissent. Nearly half of the executions were for drug-related offenses, while hundreds occurred under qisas laws requiring retribution for murder. A significant portion targeted marginalized groups, including ethnic minorities such as Kurds and Baluch, who faced disproportionate impacts linked to poverty and limited access to legal resources. The document highlights systematic violations of due process, including denials of counsel and fair trials, often breaching Iran's own legal standards.

Among those executed were 48 women, the highest number in...