Brief
Iran executes five protest‑related detainees in a week
The executions, carried out amid claims of torture and denied legal counsel, prompted Amnesty to call for global action.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Amnesty International said five men convicted of involvement in the January 2026 protests in Iran were executed between 30 September and 5 October 2026. The men – Ali Hemmati Sistanian, Alireza Raisi, Alireza Sepahi, Majid Nikandish and Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi – were sentenced after trials Amnesty described as "grossly unfair" and tainted by torture.
What happened
According to Amnesty, the executions occurred in a single week: Alireza Raisi and Alireza Sepahi were hanged in Esfahan on 5 October, while the other three were executed on separate days between 30 September and 5 October. The men had been convicted of alleged violent and non‑violent acts during the 8 January protests in Esfahan, including blocking streets, arson and alleged involvement in the deaths of four security agents.
What the report adds
Amnesty detailed a pattern of rights violations: denial of access to lawyers during interrogations, refusal to investigate claims of torture, use of televised forced confessions as evidence and trials before Revolutionary Courts that lack independence. The organization cited Alireza Sepahi’s own account of being subjected to prolonged solitary confinement, beatings and electric shocks while in detention.
What was said
Diana Eltahawy, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said: “The arbitrary executions of these five young men serves as another chilling reminder of how the Iranian authorities weaponize the death penalty to render the cost of dissent so high that it terrorizes the population into silence and deters further mass uprisings challenging their repressive decades‑long rule.” She added that “systemic impunity has emboldened Iran’s authorities to continue their assault on the right to life and other human rights.”
How it came about
The men were part of the “Alikhani Square” mass trial stemming from the 8 January protests. Their forced confessions were broadcast on state media on 23 January 2026, prior to the trial. Amnesty called for coordinated diplomatic pressure, referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court and the creation of an international criminal justice mechanism for Iran through the UN General Assembly.
Key facts
- Five men convicted of January 2026 protests were executed in Iran between 30 Sept and 5 Oct 2026 (amnesty.org)
- Executions followed trials Amnesty described as grossly unfair and torture‑tainted (amnesty.org)
- Amnesty called for UN Security Council referral to the International Criminal Court (amnesty.org)
Sources
- [1] amnesty.org — originally reported as “Iran: Five protest-related arbitrary executions in one week must spur global action”
