Iran executes two men over January 2026 protests and deaths of four police officers

Executions in Isfahan

Iranian authorities executed two men on Monday morning following their conviction over anti-government demonstrations in the city of Isfahan. The judiciary news agency Mizan reported the executions of Alireza Sepahi and Alireza Raeisi on 5 October 2026. Both individuals were arrested in connection with unrest that took place in January in Iran's third-largest city, where four police officers died during street clashes. The Iranian Supreme Court reviewed and upheld their capital sentences before the hangings were carried out at dawn. The latest executions follow the public hanging of two other protest participants, Abolfazl Sepahi and Amir-Hossein Safari, during the preceding week. That earlier execution in Isfahan triggered an unusual public protest when a crowd of local residents attempted to intervene and halt the sentence.

Legal proceedings and charges

Judicial records published by Mizan listed multiple capital offenses against both Sepahi and Raeisi. The charges included membership in an armed rebel group, waging war against God by carrying weapons, creating fear and insecurity, corruption on earth, and incitement to war and killing. Iranian prosecutors alleged that the two men took part in armed assaults directed at official buildings, security forces, and civilians, leading to the deaths of at least four officers. The judiciary additionally claimed that the bodies of the deceased police officers were desecrated following the confrontation. Defense lawyers for Sepahi disclosed that he was hanged inside prison several hours prior to the release of the official judiciary statement.

Human rights response

International advocacy organizations criticized the ongoing judicial penalties imposed on demonstrators. Mahmud Amiri-Moqadam, director of the organization Iran Human Rights, demanded an immediate international diplomatic response to the executions.

The weekly execution of protesters continues, while hundreds more have been sentenced to death or face capital charges. This represents a continuation of the January killing of protesters: first in the streets and now through executions.

Amiri-Moqadam stated that an immediate suspension of all executions should serve as a central requirement for any foreign government maintaining diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic. According to Amnesty International, Iran ranks second globally behind China in total annual executions. Advocacy groups documented an acceleration in arrests and capital convictions following military strikes carried out against Iranian sites by the United States and Israel in February 2026.

Protest wave and casualties

The nationwide protest movement began in late December 2025 over sharp increases in living costs and economic hardship. The demonstrations expanded across the country and reached their peak on 8 and 9 January 2026 before subsiding in February. Iranian authorities reported that more than 3,100 people were killed during the unrest, attributing the casualties to armed terrorism and foreign interference. Official government registries divided the death toll into 600 armed fighters, described by the state as terrorists, and more than 2,400 civilians and members of the security forces. Human rights organizations disputed the state classification, maintaining that security personnel deployed disproportionate lethal force against peaceful participants. Iranian officials cited remarks from United States President Donald Trump, who threatened military action over the crackdowns and later stated that his administration had provided weapons to demonstrators to encourage a domestic uprising.