A Disturbing 90% Rise in the Execution of Women Amid Iran’s Execution Spree – In the Iranian year 1403 (March 20, 2024 – March 20, 2025), the clerical regime in Iran carried out 1,153 executions across 94 prisons, marking a 42% increase compared to the previous year. This figure—already staggering—likely underrepresents the full scale of the atrocity, as many executions go unrecorded in remote prisons.
The victims include 38 women, seven juvenile offenders, and seven prisoners who were hanged in public in scenes of extraordinary brutality.
This wave of executions represents the highest annual total in recent years and coincides with growing internal instability and fear of a nationwide uprising.
According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), 961 executions (83% of the total) took place under the tenure of Masoud Pezeshkian, who assumed office in late July 2024.
An Alarming Surge in the Execution of Women
One of the most chilling aspects of this report is the nearly doubled number of women executed compared to the previous year. At least 38 women were put to death in 1403, up from 20 in 1402—a 90% increase. This reflects the regime’s intensifying use of violence and terror to suppress dissent, especially targeting vulnerable and marginalized groups.
Children and Public Hangings
Seven of those executed were under 18 at the time of their alleged crimes, in violation of international law. Additionally, seven executions were carried out publicly in cities including Hamedan, Esfarayen, Khomein, Taybad, Shahroud, and Isfahan—acts clearly intended to instill fear in the population.
Call to Action
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), condemned the regime’s execution spree as part of a broader survival strategy. She emphasized that the clerical regime, having suffered heavy setbacks in the region and facing a real threat of overthrow, has resorted to mass killings to stave off collapse.
Rajavi urged governments worldwide to:
- Make all dealings with the Iranian regime contingent on halting executions and torture
- Refer Iran’s human rights violations to the UN Security Council
- Bring Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other regime officials to justice for crimes against humanity and genocide
She echoed the UN Special Rapporteur’s recommendation from July 2024 to pursue international accountability.
The Iranian regime’s record-breaking number of executions in 1403, especially its brutal targeting of women and juveniles, exposes the depth of its desperation and the extent of its crimes. The world must not remain indifferent. Iran’s people deserve justice—and their oppressors must face the consequences.
