Iranian woman who gave birth in prison is hanged, rights group says

A publication by the human rights group IHR (Iran Humans Rights) revealed that an Iranian woman was executed by hanging after giving birth in prison.

The execution took place on May 20th and the woman's identity was confirmed as Asma Zarei this Tuesday (27th).

A source told IHR that Asma was accused of killing her husband with pills and was sentenced to qisas, a concept in Islamic law that means "retribution in the same measure or equivalent retribution."

She was pregnant at the time of her arrest and the baby was born in prison. The child is now two years old.

Before the execution, Asma would have written a letter asking her mother to raise her son. An aid before her hanging, she was transferred to a solitary cell, where she received a last visit from her family.

Sixth woman executed in 2026
Asma Zarei is the sixth executed woman registered in 2026, according to the IHR.

In 2025, the IHR's annual death penalty report found that at least 747 people, including 48 women, had been executed on murder charges. Less than 7% of recorded executions for qisas or "equivalent retribution" were announced by official sources.

Source: CNN