Amnesty International’s Death Sentences and Executions 2024 report paints a stark and disturbing picture of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s use of capital punishment. With at least 972 executions, 2024 marked the highest number of executions recorded in Iran since 2015, representing a 14% increase from the previous year and 64% of all known executions globally.
This surge was not only numeric—it reflected a broader policy of state violence, repression, and systemic injustice. According to Amnesty, more than half of these executions (52%) were carried out for drug-related offences, despite clear prohibitions under international law against using the death penalty for crimes that do not meet the threshold of “most serious crimes.”
A Tool of Repression and Control
Iranian authorities continued to use the death penalty as a political weapon to stifle dissent and enforce ideological conformity. The regime targeted protesters, dissidents, human rights defenders, and ethnic minorities, especially in the wake of the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising that swept the country from September to December 2022.
In 2024, at least two individuals were executed in connection with protest-related charges, one of whom had a mental disability. These executions followed grossly unfair trials and were based on confessions likely extracted under torture or other ill-treatment. Several other protesters remained on death row by the end of the year.
The regime also intensified its crackdown on women’s rights activists using politically motivated death sentences. In a chilling escalation, Sharifeh Mohammadi, a prominent women’s rights defender, was sentenced to death in June 2024, followed by Kurdish humanitarian worker Pakhshan Azizi in July.
Minorities and Foreign Nationals in the Crosshairs
Ethnic and religious minorities bore a disproportionate brunt of Iran’s execution spree. Baluchis, who constitute about 5% of the population, accounted for at least 10% of the executions. Meanwhile, Afghan nationals and individuals of Afghan origin were also severely affected: executions rose from 25 in 2023 to 80 in 2024, with nearly half sentenced for drug-related offences. Amnesty attributes this surge, in part, to an escalation in xenophobic rhetoric and discriminatory treatment of Afghan refugees by Iranian authorities.
Children Sentenced to Death
Iran continues to blatantly violate international law by executing individuals for crimes committed when they were under 18. In 2024, at least four such executions were recorded, and Amnesty reports that many more minors remained on death row.
Unfair Trials, Forced Confessions, and the Revolutionary Courts
Many executions in Iran follow trials that violate international fair trial standards. Proceedings often occur before Revolutionary Courts, notorious for their lack of independence and reliance on coerced confessions. These courts operate under the direct influence of Iran’s security and intelligence services, making them tools of state oppression rather than instruments of justice.
The charges leading to death sentences are often vague and politically motivated, including accusations like “enmity against God” (moharebeh), “corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel-arz), or “acts against national security.” Such charges allow the regime to criminalize dissent and suppress fundamental freedoms with impunity.
Conclusion
Amnesty International’s findings reveal a grim reality: Iran’s use of the death penalty is not about justice—it’s about power, control, and fear. Through systematic executions, often after grossly unfair trials, the Iranian regime seeks to silence opposition and entrench its hold on society.
The international community must not remain silent. The growing use of the death penalty—particularly against protesters, women activists, minorities, and children—demands urgent and unified global condemnation. Accountability for these violations is not only a legal obligation but a moral imperative.
