Summary

Iran executed 901 people in 2024, including 31 women, marking the highest total since 2015, according to the U.N. Most executions were for drug offenses, but political dissidents and participants in 2022 protests were also targeted.

Many women executed were victims of domestic abuse or forced marriages, with some convicted for killing abusive husbands.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the rising executions, calling for reform.

President Masoud Pezeshkian, elected in 2024, had pledged to improve protections for women and minorities, but significant progress remains absent.