Iran Executes Record 31 Women in 2024, Highlighting Gender Disparities

Human rights groups report a surge in executions under Iran's judicial system, with many women sentenced after enduring domestic violence or abuse.

Iran Human Rights (IHR) documented at least 31 women executed in 2024, the highest number since the NGO began tracking executions in 2008.
A total of 241 women have been executed in Iran between 2010 and 2024, with most cases linked to murder or drug-related convictions.
Many women sentenced to death acted in self-defense against domestic violence or sexual abuse, but Iran's Islamic law of retribution, qisas, rarely considers such circumstances as mitigating factors.
The surge in executions follows nationwide protests in 2022-2023, with activists accusing the regime of using capital punishment to instill fear and suppress dissent.
Iran's new president Masoud Pezeshkian oversaw a sharp increase in executions, with 1,000 people executed in 2024, including women, juveniles, and minority groups like the Baluch population.