At dawn on August 8, 2026, the death sentence of Marzieh Nayyeri was carried out at Qazvin Central Prison, also known as Choobindar Prison. The 24-year-old woman had been convicted of “premeditated murder” and sentenced to retribution.
Marzieh Nayyeri was from a village located between Qazvin and Karaj. Six years ago, when she was only 17, she was forced by her family to marry a man named Davood, despite having no interest in the marriage.
According to available information, Davood was involved in a real estate partnership with two other men and frequently consumed drugs and alcohol at home.
Five years ago, in early October, when Marzieh was 18, her husband and one of his business partners, attempted to assault her after having lunch. Marzieh stabbed them with a kitchen knife in self-defense, as a result of which her husband was killed.
During her trial, Marzieh stated under oath that she had previously been subjected to repeated threats of sexual assault by her husband’s associates and that on the day of the incident she acted solely to defend her dignity and her life. The court, however, did not accept Marzieh’s self-defense argument.
As of the time of publication, no official source or state media outlet has announced the execution of Marzieh Nayyeri.
With the execution of Marzieh Nayyeri at Qazvin Central Prison, the number of women executed in the year 2026, reaches 20.
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 348 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 3,973 prisoners, including 108 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.
