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Doha – At least 31 women were executed in Iran throughout 2024, marking the highest number since 2008 when Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) began documenting executions in the Islamic republic, according to a new report released on Monday.
The NGO’s findings reveal that Iran executed 241 women between 2010 and 2024, with the majority of cases involving drug-related charges and murder convictions.
Notably, 70% of women executed for murder were convicted of killing a husband or partner, often in contexts of domestic violence.
“The execution of women in Iran not only reveals the brutal and inhumane nature of the death penalty but also exposes the deep-rooted gender discrimination and inequality within the judicial system,” said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.
The report details that of the 241 documented executions, 114 women were executed for murder and 107 for drug-related charges.
IHR noted that many of the women executed for murder were victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse who “acted out of desperation.”
Under Iran’s Islamic law of retribution, known as “qisas”, a life must be taken after a killing unless the victim’s family forgives or accepts payment.
This law often prevents courts from considering extenuating circumstances such as domestic violence in sentencing.
The case of Zahra Esmaili illustrates the severity of the situation. Esmaili, who was forced to marry her neighbor after becoming pregnant due to rape, was executed in 2021 for killing her husband, a ministry of intelligence official who was reportedly violent toward her and her children.
According to her lawyer, Esmaili suffered a heart attack after witnessing group executions before her own, yet authorities proceeded to hang her lifeless body.
The surge in executions has raised concerns among activists, who argue that Iranian authorities are using capital punishment to instill fear in society, particularly following the 2022-2023 nationwide protests.
October 2024 alone saw 166 executions, the highest monthly figure since IHR began recording executions.
Currently, several women, including Kurdish activists Varisheh Moradi and Pakhshan Azizi, remain on death row facing imminent execution.
The report also revealed that only 26% of women’s executions were officially announced, with this figure dropping to 12% in recent years.
According to the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, the country carried out at least 930 death sentences in 2024, compared to 811 in 2023 and 579 in 2022, indicating a consistent upward trend in the use of capital punishment.
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