KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – An Iranian human rights group reports that the Islamic Republic has executed nine people, including two citizens of Afghanistan, amid a surge in the country’s use of the death penalty.
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which monitors rights abuses in Iran, said the two Afghan citizens, convicted of “sexual assault,” were executed at Qezel Hesar prison in Karaj on Wednesday, October 29.
Their identities and additional details have not been disclosed.
Iran continues to rank among the countries with the highest execution rates globally. Human rights organizations have raised concerns over the lack of due process, fair trials, and independent legal representation in the country’s judicial system.
The Iranian government does not release statistics on Afghan nationals it executes. However, Iran Human Rights (IHR) has documented a rising trend since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. According to IHR, 16 Afghan citizens were executed in 2022, 25 in 2023, at least 80 in 2024, and at least 62 so far in 2025, including one woman.
Executions are also ongoing in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has executed at least 11 people for murder since returning to power.
The UN and human rights organizations have condemned these executions, calling them violations of international law. Amnesty International has emphasized that the death penalty, without exception, breaches the right to life under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
