An annual report by Washington-based rights group HRANA reveals that in 2025 at least 1,922 people were executed in Iran - more than double the number recorded the previous year. The report wass published against the backdrop of Operation Rising Lion and the regime's announcements about the arrest of alleged spies who reportedly acted for Israel.
The report covers the period from January 1 to December 20, 2025, and notes a 106% increase in executions compared with 2024. According to the organization, this is a decades-long record in the use of the death penalty by Iran's judicial system. The report noted that approximately 60 of the executed were women.
According to the data, most executions were carried out behind closed doors, but at least ten took place publicly. It also noted that 95% of the cases were not officially reported by the authorities or media aligned with the regime. At least 168 people were sentenced to death in 2025, and the country's Supreme Court upheld death sentences in at least 56 cases.
The report shows that 1,681 of those executed were men, 59 were women, and in the remaining cases the identities of the convicted could not be verified. Most executions were for murder offenses (about 47.5%) and drug-related crimes (about 46.1%). The report also documents executions of at least two individuals who were under 18 at the time of the alleged offenses, in violation of international law.
Iran International reported that human rights organizations strongly criticize the use of the death penalty for drug offenses, which they say are sometimes accompanied by unfair trials and disproportionately affect poor and marginalized populations.
Last week there were reports of the execution of Aqil Kashavarz, a 27-year-old Iranian citizen, who was accused of spying for Israel, collaborating with an intelligence body, and exposing security sites. According to the Tasnim news agency, the execution was carried out with the approval of the Supreme Court and after a legal process.