Tehran, Iran – In a shocking human rights report reflecting escalating repression within Iran, two NGOs revealed on Monday that Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025. This figure represents the highest number of executions recorded in the country since 1989, placing Iran at the forefront of countries worldwide in terms of executions per capita.
A frightening escalation in the pace of repression
A joint annual report by Iran Human Rights (based in Norway) and Together Against the Death Penalty (based in Paris) stated that the total number of executions in 2025 reached a record high of 68% compared to 2024, which saw 975 executions.
Among those executed by hanging, 48 women were documented. This demonstrates the pervasive nature of the repressive measures, affecting all segments of society. The two organizations also warned that the Iranian regime has become a prime political tool for intimidating the public and silencing dissenting voices. They further cautioned that the danger will intensify if Tehran continues its policy of “militarizing the judiciary” to address internal and external crises.
Four executions a day
The Iranian human rights organization, which employs rigorous standards in documenting cases through at least two independent sources, confirmed that this figure is a “conservative estimate,” as the majority of executions are not reported in official media. Based on these figures, the total equates to approximately four executions per day over the past year. This is the highest rate since the mass executions that followed the Iranian Revolution in the late 1980s.
January protests and the war: catalysts for killing
The report linked this sharp rise to the state of turmoil in Iran following the widespread protests of January 2016, and the repercussions of the ongoing US-Israeli conflict.
The two organizations warned that hundreds of protesters and activists currently imprisoned face imminent death sentences. These sentences could be issued on vague charges such as “enmity against God” and “corruption on earth.”
The security crackdown on the January protests resulted in the deaths of thousands and the arrest of tens of thousands, amid international concerns that Iranian prisons are becoming legal “liquidation grounds” for dissidents under the guise of politically motivated judicial rulings. The report concluded by calling on the international community to intervene immediately to pressure Tehran to halt this “systematic massacre.” It asserted that international silence is giving Iranian authorities a green light to continue their flagrant violations of basic human rights.
