Thu Feb 20 14:54:47 UTC 2025: ## Iran’s Executions Soar to Record High in 2024: Human Rights Groups

**Tehran** – Iran executed at least 975 people in 2024, a record high and a 17% increase from the previous year, according to a joint report released Thursday by Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM). This marks the highest number of executions recorded by IHR since 2008.

The report accuses the Iranian government of using capital punishment as a tool of political oppression, with an average of five executions daily during the final three months of the year, coinciding with heightened tensions between Iran and Israel. The staggering figure includes 31 women, the highest number in 17 years, and four public hangings.

Among those executed were two individuals directly linked to the 2022 nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. Mohammad Ghobadlu, 23, was executed in January despite claims of a flawed trial and evidence of bipolar disorder, while Gholamreza Rasaei, 34, was secretly executed in August following allegations of a coerced confession obtained through torture.

Crimes punishable by death in Iran include murder, rape, and drug offenses, but also broadly defined charges such as “corruption on earth” and “rebellion,” which activists argue are used to suppress dissent. The report suggests the actual number of executions could be even higher, with 39 additional unconfirmed cases.

IHR reports that at least 121 executions have already taken place in Iran in 2025. The French foreign ministry has condemned the executions, calling them a symbol of Iran’s repression of its people’s aspirations for freedom. Human rights organizations continue to denounce Iran as the world’s leading executioner after China.

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