Iran more than doubled executions in 2025, global death penalty hit 44-year high

The use of the death penalty skyrocketed last year, with documented executions reaching a worldwide high not seen since 1981, a new report found. A majority of the increase came from Iran, where the annual execution rate doubled, according to the report by human rights organization Amnesty International. At least 2,707 people were executed globally in 2025, the report said, although it acknowledged the overall count was likely much higher. …