In a significant rise, Iran executed at least 975 individuals in 2024, a 17% increase from the previous year, as outlined in the recently released Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran. Released by Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), this development represents the highest execution rate observed in over two decades.
This troubling escalation appears closely tied to geopolitical tensions, notably the heightened conflicts with Israel during which executions surged to five to six daily in the year’s final quarter. Drug-related offenses formed a substantial share, accounting for 503 of the executions. These executions disproportionately affected marginalized communities, particularly the Baluch ethnic groups.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has continued its law enforcement cooperation with Iran, despite objections from 84 human rights organizations about drug-related executions, as highlighted in their ongoing initiatives found here.
Alarmingly, transparency regarding executions has diminished, with fewer than 10% of executions being officially announced—down from 15% in 2023. The execution of women also hit a record high, with at least 31 women put to death, the highest since such records by IHRNGO began in 2007.
The report scrutinizes Iran’s implementation of qisas laws, which saw 419 individuals executed for murder charges. Among these were cases like Abbas Karimi’s, whose family could not afford the blood money exceeding one million euros, leading to his execution, and Ahmad Alizadeh, who faced execution, resuscitation, and re-execution.
Political affiliations also played a significant role, with at least 164 executions related to ties with banned political or armed groups, including a majority of ethnic minorities—52% Kurds, 26% Baluch, and 16% Arabs. This upsurge is linked to a governmental crackdown on dissent, particularly pronounced in the Kurdish regions and Baluchistan following the controversial death of Mahsa Amini.
The increase in political executions is perceived as part of the Iranian government’s strategy to intensify repression and suppress opposition through capital punishment. In response, political prisoners in Iran launched the “No Death Penalty Tuesdays” campaign, a protest gaining international attention, aiming to challenge the death penalty’s legitimacy, as observed in their initiative reported here.
The IHRNGO’s Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, underscored the broader social movement that this campaign symbolizes. He emphasized that both national and global communities should support this struggle to challenge capital punishment fundamentally, as noted in IHRNGO’s statement.
The sobering statistics and analyses presented in the report mark a critical moment for international scrutiny regarding Iran’s reliance on capital punishment, raising pressing questions about human rights and justice within the region.
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