At dawn on Sunday, March 16, 2025, two women were executed in Urmia Central Prison. The victims were identified as Mojgan Azarpisheh, 31, from Urmia, and Kowsar Baghernejad, 24, from Naqadeh.
Both Mojgan Azarpisheh and Kowsar Baghernejad had been convicted of premeditated murder in separate cases and were previously sentenced to death by the Iranian regime’s judiciary. Mojgan Azarpisheh had been imprisoned for six years, while Kowsar Baghernejad had spent four years behind bars, awaiting execution.
With the execution of these two women, Mojgan Azarpisheh and Kowsar Baghernejad, the number of women executed in Iran in 2025 reaches seven.
Iran: The World’s Leading Executioner of Women
Iran holds the grim record for the highest number of women executed globally. According to data compiled by the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), at least 270 women have been executed in Iran since 2007.
Many of the women executed by the Iranian regime are themselves victims of domestic violence and discriminatory family laws. A significant number have acted in self-defense.
The number of women executed in Iran saw a sharp rise in 2024. At least 34 women were hanged last year, with 23 of these executions occurring after Massoud Pezeshkian took office. In total, the regime executed at least 1,000 prisoners in 2024.
A Statistical Comparison of Women’s Executions in Iran
Between 2013 and 2020, at least 120 women were executed in Iran, averaging 15 executions per year. In contrast, the execution of 34 women in 2024 marks more than a twofold increase, signaling an alarming trend.
Since Ebrahim Raisi took office in 2021, the number of executions—including those of women—has steadily increased. This upward trajectory has accelerated after Raisi’s death on May 19, 2023, and Pezeshkian’s rise to power in August 2023.
Since Raisi’s death, an average of 3.3 women have been executed per month. Pezeshkian openly defended the regime’s execution policy on October 9, 2024. In comparison, during Raisi’s 34-month tenure, 63 women were executed, averaging 1.85 executions per month.
These figures reinforce the reality that, regardless of who holds the presidency, the Iranian regime continues to trample on the rights of its people—especially women.
