Sharp Rise in Executions: At Least 74 Prisoners Executed Including Four Women
In March 2025, the Islamic Republic of Iran continued its systematic use of capital punishment at an alarming rate. According to Iran Human Rights Monitor’s findings, at least 74 individuals, including four women, were executed across the country during the month. This wave of executions coincided with the start of the Iranian New Year and the holy month of Ramadan, underscoring the regime’s persistent disregard for fundamental human rights and international appeals to end the death penalty.
Key Highlights
- Mass Executions on March 1: On Saturday, March 1, authorities executed 27 individuals across several cities, among them a woman and 12 Baluchi prisoners. The victims included three brothers (Jalal, Javad, and Alireza Afagh), a father and son, and other individuals hanged in Mashhad, Arak, Tabriz, Qorveh, Amol, and Zahedan.
- Female Prisoners Executed:
Nasrin Barani, 29, executed in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan, after four years of imprisonment.
Asieh Ghavicheshm, executed in Mashhad on March 1.
On March 16, Mojgan Azarpisheh, 31, and Kosar Baghernejad, 24, were executed in Urmia Prison.
- Executions for Drug-Related Charges:
Several prisoners were hanged for alleged drug offenses, including Ahmad Saeedi in Zanjan, Ghasem Saraei in Qom, Houshang Mohammadi-Khani in Yazd, and Jalal Ashkani in Hamedan.
- Other Executions Across Provinces:
In Neyshabur, Amin Khosravi and Hojjat Torkaman were executed.
In Khorramabad, Obeid Maleki and Mohammad Javad (Afshin) Hassanvand, a former law enforcement officer, were executed.
Executions also took place in Ardabil, Kashan, Qazvin, Jiroft, Gorgan, and other cities.
Political Prisoners at Risk
Iranian authorities continue to uphold and issue death sentences for political prisoners:
Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heidaranlou’s death sentence for alleged “rebellion” was confirmed by the Supreme Court on March 24.
Varishe Moradi also remains at risk of imminent execution.
Families of political prisoners, including those of Vahid Bani Amerian and Pouya Ghobadi, held public protests demanding the revocation of their loved ones’ death sentences. Both men were sentenced alongside four others (including Babak Alipour, Shahrokh Daneshvarkar, Mohammad Taqavi, and Abolhassan Montazer) in politically motivated trials by Iran’s Revolutionary Courts.
Torture and Medical Neglect of Political Prisoners
Numerous reports emerged in March detailing severe mistreatment of prisoners:
Mohammad and Mehdi Khodakarami were brutally beaten, humiliated, and placed in quarantine in Khorramabad Prison.
Kamran Rezaeifar, after major surgery, was shackled to a hospital bed and returned to prison despite his poor health.
Ebrahim Khalil Sedighi, a 66-year-old political prisoner with diabetes, has been denied medical care, risking further physical deterioration after already losing three toes to infection.
Protests Against Executions Continue
Throughout March 2025, public resistance to executions intensified as families of political prisoners under death sentence staged several peaceful protests, while the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, entered its 62nd consecutive week on April 1. The campaign, active in 38 prisons across Iran, continues to challenge the regime’s widespread use of capital punishment.
On March 26, families of Vahid Bani Amerian and Pouya Ghobadi—both sentenced to death—gathered outside Evin Prison in Tehran. Holding photos and signs bearing slogans such as “No to Execution” and “Abolish the Death Penalty Now,” the families called for an immediate halt to the executions of their loved ones and all political prisoners. A similar demonstration had taken place on March 18 in Sarab Park, Sonqor (Kermanshah Province), where relatives again demanded the revocation of these death sentences.
Both Vahid Bani Amerian and Pouya Ghobadi are affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). They were sentenced in December 2024, along with four others: Shahrokh Daneshvarkar, Babak Alipour, Seyed Mohammad Taghavi, and Seyed Abolhassan Montazer, by Judge Iman Afshari of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. The charges included “acting against national security,” “membership in the PMOI,” and “propaganda against the regime.” All six have long histories of political activism and previous imprisonment for their opposition to the Islamic Republic.
Despite the peaceful nature of the protests, authorities have responded with silence and in some cases intimidation, while continuing to pursue executions. Inside prisons, detainees have joined the resistance through hunger strikes, most notably in Evin, Gohardasht, Qezel-Hesar, Shiraz, Urmia, and Rasht prisons. These coordinated acts of defiance reflect the growing collective demand to abolish the death penalty and end the judicial persecution of dissidents.
UN Human Rights Council Renews Mandates for Special Rapporteur and Fact-Finding Mission
On March 22, 2025, the United Nations Human Rights Council, during its 58th session in Geneva, adopted a resolution renewing the mandates of both the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission. The resolution, passed by 24 votes in favor, highlighted the Iranian regime’s widespread and systematic violations of human rights, including the sharp rise in executions, suppression of civil liberties, and discrimination against women and minorities. It calls on Iran to fully cooperate with both mandates and to end impunity for those responsible for serious abuses. The decision reflects the international community’s continued concern over the lack of accountability and the deteriorating rights situation in Iran.
Conclusion
The high number of executions in March 2025—at least 74 prisoners, including four women—underscores a continued trend of repression and abuse by Iranian authorities. Despite widespread international condemnation and mounting calls for reform, the Iranian regime has intensified its use of the death penalty as a tool for intimidation and control. Iran HRM reiterates its call for the immediate suspension of all executions, the abolition of the death penalty, and the release of all political prisoners.
We urge the international community to maintain and intensify pressure on the Iranian authorities to uphold human rights and to ensure accountability for ongoing violations.
