Overview

• Iran executed at least 834 people in 2023, the highest number since 2015, with a significant increase in drug-related executions.
• The execution of 22 women marks the highest number in the past decade, with many hanged on murder charges.
• Members of ethnic minorities, particularly the Sunni Baluch, are disproportionately represented among those executed.
• Public hangings increased, with seven people executed in public spaces in 2023, triple the number from 2022.
• Rights groups criticize the international community's inconsistent reaction to Iran's use of the death penalty, urging stronger condemnation.