ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iran’s judiciary on Sunday announced the execution of a man accused of killing a police officer in the southern Hormozgan province four years ago, amid a recent spike in executions.  

“The central prosecutor of Hormozgan province announced the execution of the death sentence for the murderer of martyr Reza Ehtharmi, an officer of the Faraja emergency unit,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said. 

The defendant, who was not named, was convicted of killing Ehtharmi in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, according to Mizan. 

“Ultimately, upon proof of intentional murder and the victims’ parents' request, the murderer was sentenced to death,” it said. 

Iran has ramped up executions since its war with the US and Israel and the nationwide protests.

According to Amnesty International’s 2025 annual report on the use of the death penalty worldwide, global executions have surged to their highest level in over four decades, driven largely by Iran.

The report said Iranian authorities carried out at least 2,159 executions, more than double the previous year and the highest figure recorded in the country in decades. Iran alone accounted for around 80 percent of all recorded executions worldwide.

In August, UN human rights chief Volker Turk criticized Iran for continuing to use executions to “instill fear,” saying that the Islamic republic uses capital punishment to “suppress dissent.”