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By: Fern Sidman
In a sobering and deeply consequential assessment of capital punishment across the globe, a newly released report by Amnesty International has cast a harsh spotlight on the Islamic Republic of Iran, identifying it as the world’s leading executor of prisoners in 2025 by a staggering margin. As reported on Monday by The Algemeiner, the findings reveal not merely a statistical anomaly, but a profound and troubling escalation in the use of state-sanctioned death as an instrument of power, repression, and deterrence.
According to Amnesty International’s comprehensive report, Iran carried out 2,159 executions last year out of a documented global total of 2,707 across 17 countries, meaning that the Iranian regime alone accounted for an overwhelming majority of executions worldwide. This figure represents a dramatic surge from 2024, when at least 972 executions were recorded in the country, underscoring what observers have described as a sharp intensification of punitive state practices.
The Algemeiner report emphasized that all executions in Iran were conducted by hanging, a method that has long been associated with the regime’s judicial system. In some instances, these executions were carried out in public settings, amplifying their psychological impact on the population. Amnesty documented 11 public hangings in Iran, a practice widely viewed as intended not only to punish but to intimidate and control.
Iran’s dominance in the global execution tally places it far ahead of other countries. Following Iran, Saudi Arabia recorded at least 356 executions, while Yemen carried out 51, the United States 47, Egypt 23, Somalia 17, Kuwait 17, Singapore 17, Afghanistan 6, and the United Arab Emirates 3. Three countries—Japan, South Sudan, and Taiwan—each executed 1 individual.
Despite these figures, Amnesty International cautioned that the true global total is likely far higher, particularly due to the opacity surrounding China’s practices. As The Algemeiner report noted, China is widely believed to remain the world’s leading executioner, with “thousands” of executions carried out annually, though official figures remain closely guarded state secrets. The report also highlighted a lack of transparency in countries such as North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, and Belarus, where execution data is either undisclosed or deliberately obscured.
“In the face of the state secrecy that continued to surround data on the death penalty,” the Amnesty report observed, “disclosures and commentary by the Chinese authorities once again pointed to an intentional use of the death penalty to send a message that the state would not tolerate threats to public security or stability.”
The global picture that emerges from these findings is one of stark contradiction. While a growing number of nations have moved toward abolishing the death penalty, a relatively small group of states continues to employ it with increasing frequency. Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard described this phenomenon in unequivocal terms.
“This alarming spike in the use of the death penalty is due to a small, isolated group of states willing to carry out executions at all costs, despite the continued global trend towards abolition,” Callamard stated, as cited by The Algemeiner. “From China, Iran, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia to Yemen, Kuwait, Singapore, and the USA, this shameless minority are weaponizing the death penalty.”
Callamard further warned that capital punishment is being deployed not merely as a legal sanction but as a strategic tool of governance. “The use of the death penalty seeks to instill fear, crush dissent, and show the strength state institutions have over disadvantaged people and marginalized communities,” she said.
One of the most striking aspects of the report is the prevalence of executions for non-violent offenses, particularly drug-related crimes. Amnesty International found that 46 percent of those executed globally—1,257 individuals—were sentenced to death for drug offenses. Iran alone accounted for 998 of these cases, followed by Saudi Arabia with 250, Singapore with 15, and Kuwait with 2.
This trend has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates, who argue that the application of the death penalty for such offenses constitutes a disproportionate and unjust response. The Algemeiner report highlighted that these executions often target individuals from marginalized backgrounds, further exacerbating social inequalities.
Additional data from independent organizations reinforces the scale of the crisis in Iran. A joint report by Iran Human Rights in Norway and Together Against the Death Penalty in France found that at least 1,639 executions were carried out in Iran in 2025, representing a 68 percent increase from the 975 recorded in 2024. This figure, while slightly lower than Amnesty’s estimate, nonetheless confirms a dramatic upward trajectory.
Beyond executions, broader patterns of repression within Iran paint an even more troubling picture. According to a report by the Human Rights Activists News Agency, 78,907 individuals were arrested on ideological or political grounds between March 2025 and March 2026. The same report documented the deaths of at least 6,724 protesters, including 236 children, with an additional 11,744 cases still under investigation.
These figures suggest that the use of capital punishment is part of a wider strategy of state control, encompassing mass arrests, violent crackdowns on dissent, and systemic human rights violations. The Algemeiner report noted that such practices have intensified in recent years, reflecting the regime’s efforts to maintain authority amid internal and external pressures.
The report also sheds light on the demographic composition of those executed. While men constitute the majority, women are not exempt from the death penalty. In 2025, Iran executed 61 women, while Saudi Arabia executed 5. These figures highlight the broad reach of capital punishment across different segments of society.
Execution methods vary widely across countries, reflecting differing legal traditions and technological capabilities. Hanging remains the preferred method in Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Singapore, and South Sudan. Firing squads are used in Afghanistan, China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Lethal injection is employed in China, the United States, and Vietnam, while some U.S. states have introduced nitrogen gas asphyxiation.
Saudi Arabia stands apart as the only country to continue the practice of beheading, a method rooted in its interpretation of Islamic law. As The Algemeiner reported, the kingdom applies the death penalty to a wide range of offenses, including adultery, sorcery, and apostasy.
Particularly controversial are cases involving individuals sentenced for crimes committed as minors. Amnesty highlighted the execution of Jalal Labbad in Saudi Arabia on August 21, 2025. Labbad, born on April 3, 1995, was convicted for alleged participation in protests when he was 16 and 17 years old.
“The Specialized Criminal Court convicted and sentenced him to death for alleged offences committed when he was 16 and 17 years old,” the report stated, underscoring concerns about due process and the protection of juvenile offenders.
In Yemen, Amnesty documented additional troubling practices, including the sentencing of 18 individuals to death for “sexual acts that do not constitute internationally recognized offenses,” such as consensual same-sex relations and drug-related crimes. These cases further illustrate the divergence between international human rights standards and the practices of certain states.
Despite these challenges, Amnesty International pointed to significant progress in the global movement to abolish the death penalty. When the organization began its campaign in 1977, only 16 countries had abolished capital punishment. Today, that number has risen to 113, reflecting a broad and sustained shift in international norms.
Nevertheless, the persistence—and in some cases expansion—of executions in a small group of countries underscores the fragility of these gains. The Algemeiner report emphasized that the concentration of executions in a handful of states suggests a deliberate resistance to global trends, driven by political, ideological, and security considerations.
For Iran, the implications are particularly significant. The country’s position as the leading executor not only draws international condemnation but also raises questions about the role of capital punishment in its broader governance strategy. The dramatic increase in executions, combined with widespread reports of arrests and protest-related deaths, points to a system under strain, relying increasingly on coercive measures to maintain control.
As the global community grapples with these findings, the Amnesty report serves as both a warning and a call to action. The data it presents is not merely a collection of numbers but a reflection of human lives lost and the systems that permit such losses to occur.
In the words of Agnès Callamard, as cited by The Algemeiner, the continued use of the death penalty by a “shameless minority” of states represents a profound challenge to the principles of human dignity and justice. Addressing this challenge will require sustained international engagement, robust advocacy, and a renewed commitment to the abolition of capital punishment.
For now, the figures speak with stark clarity. In 2025, the world witnessed the highest number of executions since 1981, with Iran at the forefront of this surge. The question that remains is whether this trajectory will continue—or whether the forces pushing toward abolition will ultimately prevail.
