Executions for Rape Charges in 2025
This is an excerpt from the 2025 Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran.
Rape and sexual assault are among charges which, according to the IPC, are punishable by the death penalty in violation of international human rights law. In 2025, at least 37 men were executed for rape charges, compared to 22 in 2024, 20 in 2023, 23 in 2022 and 10 in 2021. As with other charges, there are reports of torture and forced confessions being used against defendants. Due to the lack of transparency and social taboos, only official information is often available about rape death penalty cases.
Facts about executions for rape in 2025:
- At least 37 people were executed on rape charges
- 16 of the executions were announced by official sources
- 3 Kurdish and 2 Baluch minorities were amongst those executed
- 8 of those executed on charges of rape were Afghan nationals
- A man described as a “foreign national” by state media was also executed
- 2 of the executions were carried out in public
Executed on rape charges
Nemat Majidzadeh
Nemat Majidzadeh was arrested for rape charges in 2023 and subjected to torture to confess to the charges. An informed source told IHRNGO: “Nemat’s left eardrum was ruptured under torture, leaving him deaf in that ear. He was taking psychiatric medication throughout his incarceration.” Nemat was hanged in Semnan Central Prison on 20 November 2025.[2]
Yaser Ghoreishi and Mohammadreza Nikjouyan
Yaser Ghoreishi and Mohammadreza Nikjouyan were arrested in relation to a rape complaint. Informed sources told IHRNGO: “Yaser and Mohammadreza had gone to a girl’s house with a friend during the holy month of moharram. The third man was the one who raped the girl but he was later released and Yaser and Mohammadreza were executed instead.” According to the official report, the victim had filed a complaint. Yaser and Mohammadreza were sentenced to death by Branch 2 of the Mazandaran First Criminal Court in Sari and hanged in Ghaemshahr Prison on 23 December 2025.[3]