Sadegh Amoli Larijani
- Member of the Assembly of Experts, National (1997 - 20 May 2024)
- Member of the Guardian Council, National (16 Jul 2001 - Aug 2009)
- Head of the Judicial System of the Islamic Republic of Iran, National (Aug 2009 - Mar 2018)
- Human Rights Violation: Execution of political prisoners (Aug 2009 - Mar 2018) read more
- Institution
- Judiciary
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to a fair trial, Right to life
- Description
Since all death sentences and amputations must be approved by the head of the judiciary, Sadegh Larijani has been the main official responsible for executing these sentences since August 2009. During Sadegh Larijani's tenure, the issuance and execution of death sentences for both political prisoners and prisoners on other charges has significantly increased. Among the political prisoners executed are:
Farzad Kamangar,
Ali Heydarian,
Farhad Vakili,
Shirin Alamoholi,
Mehdi Islamian,
Jafar Kazemi
Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaei,
Taha (Ali) Heydarian,
Nasser (Abdolrahman) Heydarian,
Abbas Heydarian,
Ali Sharifi,
Shirko Maarefi
Habibaullah Golparipour
- Sources
10-year record of Sadegh Larijani; Islamic Republic’s Warden, Radio Farda, March 2017
https://www.radiofarda.com/a/Iran-judiciary-at-larijani-era/29809218.html
ٖ- Back up linkStatistics of executions during the time of Sadegh Larijani, Million site, August 2017
https://melliun.org/iran/212976
ٖ- Back up linkSadegh Larijani: Protest against execution is a violation of Islamic law, Deutsche Welle, October 2012
- Human Rights Violation: Secret mass execution of prisoners (Aug 2009 - Mar 2018) read more
- Institution
- Judiciary
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to a fair trial, Right to life
- Description
Since all death and amputation sentences must be approved by the head of the judiciary, Sadegh Larijani has been the main official in charge of executing these sentences since August 2009. During Larijani's tenure, a large number of prisoners were secretly executed without legal notice and without the knowledge of their lawyers or family.
- From June 2010 to December 2010, more than 100 prisoners were executed secretly in Vakilabad prison in Mashhad without any official announcement.
- On 3 July , 2011, in just one day, 25 prisoners of Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj were executed secretly en masse.
- On 29 August, 2009, 24 prisoners were executed en masse in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.
- On 3 August, 2016, At least 18 prisoners of conscience were executed en masse in Rajai Shahr Prison.
- Sources
Disclosure of the names of 110 prisoners who were secretly executed, Iran Human Rights Campaign, 6 December, 2011
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Larijani-8.pdf
Continuation of unannounced executions in Ghezel Hesar Prison: Secret and mass executions of 25 prisoners, Iran Human Rights Campaign, July 2011
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Larijani-9.pdf
Mass execution of 24 people in Karaj, BBC Farsi, 5 August, 2009
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/RajaeiShahr-3.pdf
Mass execution of Sunni prisoners in Rajai Shahr Prison, Deutsche Welle, August 2016
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/RajaeiShahr-5.pdf
- Human Rights Violation: Execution of minors (Aug 2009 - Mar 2018) read more
- Institution
- Judiciary
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Children's rights, Right to a fair trial, Right to life
- Description
Sadegh Larijani, as the head of the judiciary, has direct responsibility for approving and enforcing the death sentences of children under the age of 18, including Alireza Molla Soltani and Amir Hossein Pourjafar.
Despite being a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it is one of the few countries in the world that has set the age of criminal punishment in accordance with Islamic law (15 years for boys and 9 years for girls) and continues to issue death sentences for children.
According to the latest Amnesty International report (February 2015), between 2005 and 2015, at least 73 juvenile offenders were executed, and 160 are on death row, for committing crimes as minors.
- Sources
Execution of juveniles: Amnesty International reports on cover-ups by the Iranian government, Iranwire, 26 February, 2016
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Larijani-13.pdf
The killer of one of the strongest men in Iran was executed "under the legal age", Radio Farda, March 2017
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Larijani-11.pdf
The killer of Setayesh Qureshi was executed, Radio Farda, 5 December, 2017
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Larijani-12.pdf
- Human Rights Violation: Execution of inhumane limb amputation sentences (Aug 2009 - Mar 2018) read more
- Institution
- Judiciary
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom from torture
- Description
Despite being a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Islamic Republic continues to carry out harsh and inhumane punishments, such as limb amputations. Since Sadegh Larijani took office in the judiciary, several cases of amputations have been carried out, including:
- Execution of amputation sentences for 5 prisoners in Isfahan (2013)
- Execution of amputation of legs and arms of two prisoners in Shiraz (2011)
- Execution of amputation of a prisoner in Mahshahr (2010)
- Execution of amputation of a prisoner in Mashhad (2017)
- Execution of amputation of fingers of two prisoners in Urmia (2015)
- Execution of amputation of a prisoner in Sari (2012)
- Execution of a prisoner's amputation sentence in Kermanshah (2010).
- Sources
Performing five cases of amputation last year in Isfahan, Asr Iran, 7 September, 2014
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Larijani-15.pdf
Execution of amputation leg and hand of two thieves in Shiraz, Fararo, 11 December, 2011
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Larijani-16.pdf
Amputation of a thief in the south of Iran, BBC Farsi, 17 April, 2010
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Larijani-17.pdf
Amputation of a thief accused of stealing sheeps in Mashhad prison, VOA, 19 December, 2017
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Larijani-18.pdf
Amputation of fingers of two prisoners in Urmia, Iran Human Rights Organisation, January 2016
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Larijani-19.pdf
Amputation of a thief's fingers in Sari, Fararo, February 2013
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Larijani-20.pdf
Execution of amputation sentence in Kermanshah, Asr Iran, December 2010
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Larijani-21.pdf
- Human Rights Violation: Execution of political prisoners (Aug 2009 - Mar 2018) read more
- Member of the Supreme National Security Council, National (Aug 2009 - Mar 2018)
- Member of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, National (Aug 2009 - Mar 2018)
- Member of the National Virtual Space Centre, National (Mar 2011 - 7 Mar 2019)
- Member of the Guardian Council, National (30 Dec 2018 - 4 Sep 2021)
- Member of the Expediency Discernment Council, National (Aug 2009 - present)
- Head of the board of trustees of Imam Sadegh University, National (15 Jun 2015 - present)
- Head of the Expediency Discernment Council, National (30 Dec 2018 - present)
In April 2012, the European Union placed Sadegh Amoli Larijani on its human rights sanctions list for his role in widespread and gross violations of the rights of Iranian citizens. Under the decision, Larijani will be barred from entering the union and all his assets will be confiscated in Europe. His key role in detention of political activists and human rights defenders, executions, flogging, amputation and stoning are among the reasons for his sanctions mentioned in the EU statement.
On 13 January, 2017, the US Treasury Department, referring to the important role of Sadegh Amoli Larijani as the head of the judiciary in violating the rights of Iranian citizens, approving the execution of children and the implementation of inhuman and degrading punishments such as amputation, put Larijani on the US list of human rights sanctions. According to this decision, Sadegh Amoli Larijani's assets will be confiscated in the United States and he will be prevented from entering the country.
The UK placed Sadegh Amoli Larijani on its sanctions list on 31 December 2020. The official reasons refer to his tenure as Head of the Judiciary and his responsibility for approving death sentences and corporal punishments, as well as violations of the right to a fair trial. The sanctions include an asset freeze and travel ban, and a director disqualification sanction was added on 9 April 2025.
The Canadian government, through Global Affairs Canada, also listed Sadegh Amoli Larijani on 3 October 2022 for his involvement in gross and systematic human rights violations in Iran. The sanctions prohibit dealings with him and, as a result, any assets he may hold in Canada are frozen. He is also inadmissible to Canada.