The 14th Annual Report on the Death Penalty Iran by Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) and Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort (ECPM) provides an assessment and analysis of the death penalty trends in 2021 in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It sets out the number of executions verified by Iran Human Rights, the trend compared to previous years, the legislative framework and procedures, charges, geographic distribution and a monthly breakdown of executions. Lists of the female and juvenile offenders executed in 2021 are also included in the tables.
The report also looks into the abolitionist movement within Iran, including the forgiveness movement and its contribution to reduce the use of the death penalty, and provides analysis on how the international community can contribute to limit the scope of the death penalty in Iran.
The 2021 report is the result of hard work from IHRNGO members and supporters who took part in reporting, documenting, collecting, analysing and writing of its contents. We are especially grateful to IHRNGO sources inside Iran who, by reporting on unannounced and secret executions in prisons of 26 different provinces, incur a significant risk. Due to the very difficult context, the lack of transparency and the obvious risks and limitations that human rights defenders face in the Islamic Republic of Iran, this report does not give a complete picture of the use of the death penalty in Iran by any means. There are reported executions which are not included in this report due to a lack of sufficient details or an inability to confirm cases through two different sources. However, it aims to provide the most complete and realistic figures possible in the present circumstances. The current report does not include suspicious deaths of prisoners or those killed under torture.
ECPM supports the elaboration, editing process, publishing and distribution of this report in the framework of its international advocacy work against the death penalty. The problems of transparency on the data and information on the death penalty in Iran should be overcome by a strong strategy of distribution and dissemination. The overall objectives of this report for IHRNGO and ECPM are to bring out and publicise the facts, in order to change national and international views on the situation of the death penalty in Iran, first executioner country in the world.