Eleven prisoners executed across ten cities on January 5, 2026, amid growing public unrest and intensified repression.
The sharp rise in executions in Iran, coinciding with the expansion of nationwide protests, underscores the ruling system’s increasing reliance on repression and fear to maintain control over a society openly demanding regime change.
On Monday, January 5, 2026 (15 Dey 1404 in the Iranian calendar), Iranian regime authorities carried out the execution of eleven prisoners in at least ten different prisons across the country. The executions took place simultaneously with the continuation of widespread public protests, reinforcing concerns that capital punishment is being used as a deliberate instrument of intimidation.
Executions Across the Country
According to available reports, the following prisoners were executed on Monday:
- Sasan Jorablu, executed at dawn in Neyshabur Prison. He had been convicted on charges of murder.
- Amir Sarlak, executed at dawn in Dorud Prison, previously sentenced to death on murder charges.
- Karim Asgari, executed in the morning in Zanjan Prison, convicted of murder.
- Gholamreza Saeedi, executed at dawn in Kashan Prison, previously sentenced to death on murder charges.
- Mojtaba Rezaei, executed at dawn in Saveh Prison, convicted of murder.
- Two prisoners executed in Isfahan Prison in the morning. One has been identified as Fereydoun Moshiri-Khah; the identity of the second remains under investigation. Both were reportedly convicted of murder.
- Noormohammad Shahsavari, executed at dawn in Yazd Prison, previously sentenced to death on murder charges.
- Siavash Namdari, executed at dawn in Gorgan Prison, convicted on drug-related charges.
- Allah-Karam Beigi, executed in the morning in Bam Prison, convicted on drug-related charges.
- Armin Aghaei, executed at dawn in Kerman Prison, convicted on drug-related charges.
Executions as a Tool of Control
Human rights advocates have long warned that Iran regime’s judicial system uses executions not merely as criminal punishment, but as a political weapon, particularly during periods of heightened social unrest. The timing of these executions—carried out across multiple provinces on the same day—has intensified concerns that the state is signaling its readiness to escalate violence to deter further protests.
While several of the charges cited involve murder or drug-related offenses, international human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized Iran regime’s lack of due process, coerced confessions, restricted access to legal counsel, and the broader use of the death penalty in violation of international norms.
A Climate of Fear Amid Resistance
These executions come as protests continue to spread across Iranian cities, driven by economic collapse, political repression, and long-standing grievances. Rather than addressing the root causes of public anger, the authorities appear to be doubling down on capital punishment, arrests, and intimidation.
For many observers, the message sent by January 5 is unmistakable: the state is attempting to rule through fear at a moment when its legitimacy is increasingly questioned. Yet history has shown that executions and repression have not silenced public dissent in Iran—raising further questions about whether such measures can halt a society that has already crossed the threshold of resistance.
