A female prisoner was executed in Rasht, northern Iran.
The death sentence was carried out at dawn today, August 25, in Lakan Prison, in the northern city of Rasht.
The prisoner has been identified as Zahra Azizpour, approximately 43 years old, a mother of one from Ardabil residing in Rasht, who had previously been sentenced to death on murder charges. As of the time of this report, the case of this woman executed in Rasht has not been officially announced by prison authorities or responsible agencies.
With the execution of Zahra Azizpour in Lakan Prison, Rasht, the number of women executed in Iranian prisons since the beginning of the current calendar year (2026) has reached at least 23.
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 351 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.
Since Masoud Pezeshkian took office, the clerical regime has executed nearly 4,020 prisoners, including 111 women.
According to the NCRI sources, in 2025 alone, more than 2,201 executions were recorded in Iran, more than double the number carried out in 2024 (1,006).
Amnesty International confirmed in its annual report that Iran’s ruling dictatorship carried out at least 2,159 executions in 2025, the highest documented annual execution rate worldwide since 1981.
The NCRI Women’s Committee calls on the United Nations and relevant agencies, the European Union and its member states, as well as all human rights defenders, to take effective measures to halt the rampant executions in Iran.
