Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025 and now risk hanging more in the wake of the war against the U.S. and Israel, two NGOs said Monday (April 13, 2026), urging the West to put capital punishment "at the heart" of any negotiations with Tehran.
The number of executions represented an increase of 6% on the 975 people Iran put to death in 2024, and also included 48 women, Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) said in their joint annual report.
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If the Islamic republic "survives the current crisis, there is a serious risk that executions will be used even more extensively as a tool of oppression and repression", the report said.
IHR — which requires two sources to confirm an execution, the majority of which are not reported in Iranian official media — said the figure represented an "absolute minimum" for the number of hangings in 2025.
