Executions in Iran doubled in 2025 — marking a 36-year high: report

Nypost · 🇮🇷 public Iran · Apr 13, 2026 · 439 words · By Caitlin McCormack

Political Instability Iranian Government Oppression Human rights violations

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What to know about Political Instability

Executions in Iran doubled in 2025 — marking a 36-year high: report See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left14%

Center72%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Executions in Iran doubled in 2025 — marking a 36-year high: report See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleThe Iranian regime executed more than 1,600 people last year — marking a three decade high not seen since the end of the Islamic Republic’s war against Iraq in 1989.

Common ground

The shocking figures were included in a joint report released by the nonprofit Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty, which estimated that in 2025 at least four people were put to death each day in Iran.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What terms are actually in the Iran proposal, and which side would have to compromise first?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Six other victims were convicted of membership with the exiled opposition group Mujahideen-e Khalq (MEK), and one was accused of spying for Israel?
How does this story connect Political Instability with Iranian Government Oppression over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/13/world-news/executions-in-iran-doubled-in-2025-mark…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 5

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 2

report Misleading 2

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “Six other victims were convicted of membership with the exiled opposition group Mujahideen-e Khalq (MEK), and one was accused of spying for Israel”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “the post-war bloodbath in 1989, where an estimated 1,700 political prisoners were executed”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly mention the 'mass killings of 1989, when around 1,700 political prisoners were put to death'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This timeline of the 2026 Iran war covers the period since 28 February 2026. The war is ongoing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2026_Iran_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran and its regional allies. The conflict began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting mili…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, historically known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “the Norwegian-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported evidence of as many as 160 hangings since January”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “At least 48 women were also killed, setting another 20-year record”

CORROBORATED

Both a cross-reference (France24) and web search results confirm that at least 48 women were executed, marking a 20-year record.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — At least 48 women were executed, the highest number recorded in more than 20 years and a 55 percent increase from 2024
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20260413-iran-execut…

schedule

Claim 5: “upwards of 7,000 protestors were slaughtered in the streets during the height of the winter revolution, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 6: “Drug-related convictions resulting in death saw a 58% increase”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general definitions of drugs and a CDC page on drug safety; there is no specific data regarding the percentage increase of drug-related death convictions in Iran.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Recreational drug use is the use of a drug (legal, controlled, or illegal) with the primary intention of altering the state of consciousness through alteration of the central nervous system in order t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug

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web search NEUTRAL — Drug and health information, from pharmacists you can trust. Browse A-Z: drugs, treatments, conditions, drug classes or symptoms. Drugs.com is the most popular, comprehensive and up-to-date source of …
https://www.drugs.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 27, 2026 · Drugs can mess with your body and your mind. Learn the real facts about fake pills, weed, alcohol, and more—so you can stay in control and protect yourself.
https://www.cdc.gov/free-mind/about-substances/index.html

help

Claim 7: “State media has already confirmed at least 14 executions by the brutal regime this year”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute the claim regarding 14 executions confirmed by state media in 2025.

schedule

Claim 8: “Seven of the known hangings linked to protest activity took place after Operation Epic Fury launched in late February”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 9: “At least 57 others, including two protesters, were given the death penalty for intangible charges like “waging war against God” and “corruption on Earth””

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly state that 'At least 57 people — including two protesters — were sentenced to death on vague charges such as "waging war against God" and "corruption on Earth".'

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — At least 57 people — including two protesters — were sentenced to death on vague charges such as "waging war against God" and "corruption on Earth," according to the report. It also found that at leas…
https://www.ibtimes.sg/who-bita-hemmati-iran-execute-its-fir…

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web search NEUTRAL — Iran sentences three more protesters to death for 'waging war on God'.At least four people have been hanged since the demonstrations started, according to the judiciary, including two protesters on Sa…
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/three-more-protesters-…

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web search NEUTRAL — In July 2023, the Iranian Government sentenced Salehi to six years in prison for participating in the 2021–2022 Iranian protests. On 24 April 2024, Salehi was sentenced to death for charges linked to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toomaj_Salehi

report

Claim 10: “In total, at least 1,639 were executed in Iran last year”

MISLEADING

Similar to claim 0, the evidence explicitly states that the 1,639 executions occurred in 2025, not 'last year' (2024). The evidence notes that 2024 had at least 975 executions.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iran, formerly known as Persia before 1935 and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1979, first participated in the Olympic Games in 1900. Iran has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Ol…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_at_the_Olympics

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 11: “Iran’s hardline chief justice demanded all death penalty cases of “agents and affiliates of the enemy” — which includes protesters — be expedited”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

report

Claim 12: “The Iranian regime executed more than 1,600 people last year”

MISLEADING

The claim states more than 1,600 people were executed 'last year' (implying 2024). However, the evidence from multiple web search results explicitly attributes the figure of 1,639 executions to the year 2025, while 2024 is reported as having at least 975 executions. The claim misattributes the 2025 data to 2024.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This timeline of the 2026 Iran war covers the period since 28 February 2026. The war is ongoing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2026_Iran_war

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 13: “murder convictions — which almost always leads to execution — jumped a staggering 79%”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence consists of general definitions of murder and a news report about a specific arrest in the US; there is no data regarding murder conviction statistics in Iran.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Sep 19, 2025 · The crime appears random and officials believe the suspect acted alone. The suspect has been booked into the Walla Walla County Jail, where he faces murder and robbery charges.
https://www.khq.com/news/ephrata-man-arrested-in-walla-walla…

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web search NEUTRAL — Most societies consider murder to be an extremely serious crime, and thus believe that a person convicted of murder should receive harsh punishments for the purposes of retribution, deterrence, rehabi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder

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web search NEUTRAL — murder, in criminal law, the killing of one person by another that is not legally justified or excusable, usually distinguished from the crime of manslaughter by the element of malice aforethought.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/murder-crime

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Claim 14: “a joint report released by the nonprofit Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty, which estimated that in 2025 at least four people were put to death each day in Iran”

CORROBORATED

The evidence from web search results confirms a report by NGOs (Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty) stating that at least 1,639 people were executed in 2025, which mathematically averages to approximately 4.48 people per day.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025–2026 Iranian protests were a series of nationwide demonstrations against the government of Iran that began on 28 December 2025 amid a deepening economic crisis. The unrest followed a sharp de…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Iranian_protests

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since the beginning of the 2025–26 Iranian protests, the Iranian government has perpetrated widespread massacres of civilians, deploying both its own security forces and importing foreign militias to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacres

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — From Pahlavi Iran (1925 to 1979), through the Iranian Revolution (1979), to the era of the Islamic Republic of Iran (1979 to present), government treatment of Iranian citizens' rights has been critici…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Iran

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 15: “marking a three decade high not seen since the end of the Islamic Republic’s war against Iraq in 1989”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (BBC News and web search results) confirm that the number of executions in the most recent reporting period (2025) is the highest since 1989.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In 2024, the Iran–Israel proxy conflict escalated to a series of direct confrontations between the two countries in April, July, and October that year. On 1 April, Israel bombed an Iranian consulate c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Iran–Israel_conflict

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Events in the year 2024 in Iran.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_in_Iran

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+ 4 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.