<\/p>\n
In response to the\u00a0Iranian authorities\u00a0arbitrarily executing\u00a0five\u00a0people\u00a0convicted\u00a0in relation to\u00a0the January 2026\u00a0protests\u00a0in the space of a week, between\u00a030 September and 5\u00a0October\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Ali\u00a0Hemmati Sistanian,\u00a0Alireza Raisi, Alireza\u00a0Sepahi, Majid\u00a0Nikandish\u00a0and Siavash Jamshidi\u00a0Kheirabadi\u00a0\u2013\u00a0following grossly unfair\u00a0torture-tainted\u00a0trials, Diana Eltahawy, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International said:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe arbitrary executions\u00a0of\u00a0these\u00a0five\u00a0young\u00a0men\u00a0serves as\u00a0another\u00a0chilling\u00a0reminder\u00a0of\u00a0how\u00a0the\u00a0Iranian authorities\u00a0weaponize\u00a0the death penalty\u00a0to\u00a0render\u00a0the\u00a0cost\u00a0of dissent so high that it\u00a0terrorizes\u00a0the\u00a0population\u00a0into silence\u00a0and\u00a0deters\u00a0further\u00a0mass uprisings\u00a0challenging\u00a0their repressive\u00a0decades-long\u00a0rule.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThese executions\u00a0followed\u00a0reports\u00a0illustrating a\u00a0frightening and\u00a0familiar pattern: denial of access to lawyers during\u00a0interrogations,\u00a0refusal to investigate defendants\u2019 claims\u00a0of\u00a0torture and other ill-treatment,\u00a0accusations of involvement in the killing of\u00a0members of\u00a0security forces and\u00a0other violent\u00a0and non-violent\u00a0acts during protests,\u00a0the use of televised forced \u2018confessions\u2019 as evidence, and trials before Revolutionary Courts that are inherently unfair.\u00a0For instance,\u00a0Alireza Sepahi\u00a0reported being\u00a0subjected to torture and other ill-treatment and\u00a0was\u00a0denied access\u00a0to a lawyer\u00a0during interrogations\u00a0at the investigation stage.\u00a0Such proceedings make a mockery of justice,\u00a0laying bare the\u00a0Iranian\u00a0authorities\u2019 utter disregard for the right to life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cScores of\u00a0people including\u00a0dissidents\u00a0and protesters\u00a0remain\u00a0at risk of\u00a0politically\u00a0motivated\u00a0executions\u00a0as authorities\u00a0intensify\u00a0repression\u00a0citing \u2018wartime\u00a0conditions\u2019\u00a0and national security threats,\u00a0increasing the urgent need for\u00a0coordinated diplomatic pressure on Iran to halt all planned executions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSystemic impunity has\u00a0emboldened\u00a0Iran\u2019s\u00a0authorities to continue\u00a0their assault on the right to life\u00a0and\u00a0other\u00a0human rights,\u00a0underscoring<\/a>\u00a0the\u00a0urgent\u00a0need\u00a0for the\u00a0referral of the situation in Iran to the International Criminal Court\u00a0by the UN Security Council\u00a0and the\u00a0establishment of an international\u00a0criminal\u00a0justice mechanism for Iran\u00a0through the UN General Assembly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Alireza Raisi<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Alireza\u00a0Sepahi<\/strong>\u00a0were executed in Esfahan on 5 October 2026. According to\u00a0Mizan News Agency<\/a>,\u00a0the\u00a0judiciary\u2019s media outlet, they were part of the \u201cAlikhani Square\u201d mass trial\u00a0in which authorities accused defendants of\u00a0various\u00a0violent and non-violent acts\u00a0during\u00a0protests that took place in Esfahan on 8 January 2026,\u00a0including\u00a0blocking streets,\u00a0destruction of property, arson,\u00a0and involvement\u00a0in the\u00a0deaths of four\u00a0security\u00a0agents.\u00a0The men were sentenced to death after a grossly unfair trial in which their\u00a0forced \u201cconfessions\u201d\u00a0were\u00a0broadcast\u00a0on\u00a0state media\u00a0on 23 January 2026,\u00a0prior to\u00a0their\u00a0trial.\u00a0Amnesty International learned that agents subjected\u00a0<\/strong>Alireza Sepahi\u00a0to torture and other ill-treatment in detention, including prolonged solitary confinement,\u00a0beatings\u00a0and\u00a0electric shocks.\u00a0According\u00a0to\u00a0Mizan News Agency,<\/a>\u00a0the men\u00a0were\u00a0sentenced to death for\u00a0\u201c\u2018membership in an armed rebellion group (baghi<\/em>);\u00a0\u2018waging war against God\u2019\u00a0(moharebeh<\/em>)\u00a0through drawing weapons and creating fear, terror and insecurity in the surrounding area; and\u00a0\u201ccorruption on earth\u201d (efsad-e\u00a0fel\u00a0arz<\/em>)\u00a0through acts against individuals\u2019 physical integrity and national security that severely disrupted public order and created widespread insecurity,\u00a0incitement to war and killing,\u00a0and other criminal acts, including acts against national security\u201d.\u00a0Five\u00a0other\u00a0men\u00a0convicted in\u00a0the\u00a0same\u00a0case\u00a0were\u00a0previously\u00a0executed\u00a0and\u00a0at least eight others\u00a0are\u00a0at risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n Majid Nikandish\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Ali Hemmati\u00a0Sistanian<\/strong>\u00a0were executed on\u00a030 September 2026\u00a0in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan\u00a0province.\u00a0According to\u00a0Mizan News Agency<\/a>, they\u00a0were accused of\u00a0various violent and non-violent\u00a0acts\u00a0during\u00a0protests in Mashhad on 8 January 2026\u00a0that authorities labelled a \u201ccoup\u201d, including\u00a0blocking streets,\u00a0destruction of property, arson, and involvement in the deaths of\u00a0four members\u00a0of the\u00a0security forces.\u00a0Their televised\u00a0forced\u00a0\u201cconfessions\u201d,\u00a0including those taken at the scene of their arrest and\u00a0subsequent\u00a0interrogations\u00a0when\u00a0they had\u00a0no access to a\u00a0lawyer,\u00a0were used as evidence to\u00a0convict\u00a0and sentence them\u00a0to death.\u00a0According to\u00a0Iran Human Rights<\/a>,\u00a0an independent human rights organization based outside Iran,\u00a0Majid\u00a0Nikandish\u00a0was\u00a0subjected\u00a0to\u00a0torture and\u00a0other\u00a0ill-treatment, including\u00a0through\u00a0prolonged solitary confinement\u00a0and\u00a0suspension\u00a0from his arms, resulting\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0dislocated\u00a0shoulder\u00a0and broken jaw.\u00a0<\/p>\n Siavash Jamshidi\u00a0Kheirabadi\u00a0<\/strong>was executed\u00a0on 3 October\u00a02026\u00a0in Shahr-e\u00a0Kord,\u00a0<\/strong>Chaharmahal\u00a0and Bakhtiari province. According to\u00a0Mizan News Agency<\/a>, he\u00a0was\u00a0convicted and\u00a0sentenced to death\u00a0in relation to protests that took place on 8 January 2026 in Shahr-e Kord\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0charges\u00a0of\u00a0\u201c\u2019waging war against God\u2019\u00a0(moharebeh<\/em>)\u00a0through\u00a0drawing\u00a0a firearm\u00a0and firing it\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cgathering\u00a0and\u00a0colluding\u00a0to commit crimes\u00a0against national security\u201d. Amnesty International\u00a0has\u00a0consistently documented<\/a>\u00a0the use of\u00a0the latter\u00a0charge against protesters,\u00a0dissidents\u00a0and human rights defenders\u00a0for\u00a0taking part in protests\u00a0and other gatherings.\u00a0Siavash Jamshidi\u00a0Kheirabadi\u00a0forced\u00a0\u201cconfessions\u201d\u00a0were\u00a0televised and\u00a0used as evidence to convict\u00a0him\u00a0and sentence\u00a0him to death.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\nBackground<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n