World Day Report: At Least 534 Executions in Iran

Facts and figures about January to 10 October 2023 executions:

• At least 534 people have been executed 
• Only 17% (71) of the executions were announced by official sources
• 305 of the recorded executions (57%) were for drug-related charges
• 180 people (34%) were executed for murder charges
• 24 people including 5 protesters, an Arab and 2 Kurdish political prisoners were executed for the security-related charges of moharebeh (enmity against god), efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) and baghy (armed rebellion)
• 15 people were executed for rape and sexual assault charges
• 2 people were executed for blasphemy charges and one for adultery
• At least 13 women have been executed
• 2 dual-nationals were executed in 2023
• Baluch minorities who constitute 2-5% of Iran’s population accounted for 21% of all executions.
• At least 15 Afghan nationals were executed
• 6 people were publicly hanged in cities across Iran
• 3 executed men are believed to have been juvenile offenders (IHRNGO is working to verify their age at the time of arrest)
• The charges against 6 people are unknown

Observed every 10 October, the World Day Against the Death Penalty unifies the global abolitionist movement and mobilises civil society, political leaders and public opinion to support the call for universal abolition of capital punishment. The 21st World Day Against the Death Penalty has been dedicated to “Death penalty: an Irreversible Torture” by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty.

In 2023, there has been a rise in the number of executions in Iran. According to data gathered by Iran Human Rights, at least 534 people including 5 protesters and 13 women, have been executed in 2023.

However, only 13% (71) of the recorded executions have been announced by official sources, and 87% (463) were reported or verified and recorded by Iran Human Rights through its reliable sources inside Iran and human rights defenders.

Rise in executions compared to previous years:

The number of executions recorded between 1 January-10 October 2023 has increased by 25% compared to the same period in 2022 when 428 executions were recorded, and more than doubled compared to the average of 2019-2021 (see the chart below)

Execution of Baluch minorities:

At least 111 Baluch citizens have so far been executed in 2023, representing 21% of all executions. This is while they represent 2-5% of Iran’s population. Of the 111, 94 people including two women, were executed for drug-related charges, 31% of all drug-related executions in 2023.

Execution of juvenile offenders:

The Islamic Republic is one of the last remaining governments to still execute juvenile offenders. At least three people who are believed to have been juvenile offenders were executed in 2023. Iran Human Rights is working to verify their exact age at the time of the alleged offence. Ali Najafi, Abdolsamad Shahuzehi and Mohammad Rigi were all executed for murder charges.

Execution of women:

At least 13 women were executed by the Islamic Republic in 2023. Of those, 11 were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder and two Baluch women were sentenced to death for drug-related offences.

Continuing rise in drug-related executions:

At least 305 people including two women have been executed for drug-related offences since the beginning of the year. This is while 180 people were executed for the charges in the same period in 2022 and 83 in 2021. More details are presented in the report published below on the occasion of the 2023 World Day Against Death Penalty.

In 2002, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty declared 10 October as the World Day Against the Death Penalty with the goal of abolishing the inhuman and irreversible punishment, and is considered a turning point in the fight against the death penalty. The World Coalition consists of 180 members from five continents, of which 20 organisations including Iran Human Rights are members of its Steering Committee. The Committee is responsible for  making necessary decisions to implement the Coalition’s strategy. It should be noted that more than two thirds of countries are abolitionist in law or practice.