Tayyebeh Hekmat, a 53-year-old woman and mother of three, was executed in Zanjan Central Prison at dawn on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. She is the first woman executed in Iran in 2026.
Tayyebeh Hekmat had been arrested approximately seven years ago on charges of murdering her husband and was sentenced to qisas (retribution in kind).
As of the time of this report, Tayyebeh Hekmat’s execution has not been officially announced by Iranian state media or judicial authorities.
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.
Iran, the world record holder in executing women
According to data recorded by the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, at least 328 women have been executed in Iran since 2007.
Since Masoud Pezeshkian took office, the clerical regime has executed 2,968 prisoners, including 88 women. In 2025 alone, 2,201 executions were recorded in Iran—more than double the number carried out in 2024 (1,006).
The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran once again calls on the United Nations and relevant agencies, the European Union and its member states, as well as all human rights defenders, to take immediate action to save the lives of death-row prisoners and to halt the rampant executions in Iran.
