Iran carried out at least 163 executions in May 2025, marking a staggering 143% increase from the 67 executions reported in May 2024, according to human rights organizations. The surge has intensified concerns over Iran’s use of the death penalty, particularly in politically motivated cases and against marginalized groups.
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights confirmed the identities of 157 executed prisoners, among them political prisoner Pedram Madani, sentenced on espionage charges for allegedly spying for Israel. At least five women were put to death in prisons across Iran, and one juvenile offender, Mohammadreza Sabzi, was executed for a crime committed at the age of 16.
Despite the scale of executions, Iranian state media officially reported only six cases, with human rights groups stating that some executions were carried out in secret, without family notifications or final visitations.
International organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have sounded the alarm over what they describe as an “execution spree” in Iran. In the first 25 days of May alone, at least 113 people were reportedly executed. Iran Human Rights, an Oslo-based NGO, recorded 478 executions in 2025 as of May 27—an estimated 75% increase compared to the same period in 2024. If the current trend continues, analysts warn that Iran could surpass 1,000 executions by year’s end.
The death penalty is frequently imposed on drug-related offenses, political dissidents, and members of persecuted ethnic minorities, including Baluch, Kurdish, and Turkmen prisoners. In April alone, 36 Baluch and six Kurdish individuals were reportedly executed, with human rights advocates condemning Iran’s judiciary for its lack of transparency and due process in political trials.
Human Rights Watch has called for an immediate moratorium on executions, emphasising that Iran’s judicial system systematically fails to uphold fair trial standards. Death row inmates, including political prisoners such as Madani, Mehdi Hassani, and Behrouz Ehsani Eslamlou, remain at imminent risk. Reports indicate that Madani’s execution could be carried out within days, raising urgent calls for international intervention.
Rights groups also highlight the ongoing hunger strike movement among Iranian prisoners, known as “No to Execution Tuesdays.” Since January 2024, death row inmates have staged weekly hunger strikes demanding an end to capital punishment, a campaign endorsed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and other human rights defenders.
Federico Borello, interim executive director of Human Rights Watch, underscored the urgency of the situation: “Iran’s authorities have executed at least three people a day on average in 2025, targeting dissidents and marginalised communities. The international community must act now to prevent further atrocities.”
With growing global scrutiny on Iran’s judicial practices, human rights organisations continue to urge diplomatic pressure to halt executions and secure justice for those facing politically motivated charges.
