With dozens already executed, the Iranian regime is accelerating death sentences against January 2026 uprising detainees, particularly in Isfahan, amid growing international condemnation and prison protests.
The Iranian regime has entered a new phase of judicial repression, dramatically accelerating the issuance and implementation of death sentences against those arrested during the January 2026 nationwide uprising. As executions continue to rise across the country, Isfahan Province has emerged as the principal center for capital prosecutions targeting anti-regime protesters.
More than 50 protesters have reportedly been executed since the uprising began. However, following the regime’s bloody crackdown—which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of demonstrators according to opposition sources—the campaign of executions has intensified further, signaling an apparent effort to extinguish any remaining momentum for public dissent through fear and intimidation.
Isfahan Becomes the Epicenter of Death Sentences
The most alarming developments are unfolding in Isfahan, where multiple high-profile cases have placed dozens of detainees at imminent risk of execution.
One of the largest is the so-called Shohada Square case, involving 16 protesters charged with offenses including moharebeh (“waging war against God”) and complicity in moharebeh—charges frequently used by the regime to prosecute political opponents.
Among those facing execution or possible death sentences are:
- Ahmadreza Saeidi
- Navid Elyasi
- Abolfazl Dadgostar
- Mehdi Mansouri
- Hamed Mehralian
- Mehdi Asadi
- Milad Bouthri
- Mehrdad Bouthri
- Ali Bouthri
- Taraneh Rahimi
- Romina Rahimi
- Setayesh Saeidi
A central element of the prosecution’s case is the allegation that Molotov cocktails were manufactured inside a shoe store located in Shohada Square.
Human rights reports have also raised serious concerns regarding forced confessions, severe restrictions on defense lawyers, and violations of due process throughout the proceedings.
Alikhani Square Case Raises Fears of More Executions
An equally troubling case concerns protests in Alikhani Square in Isfahan.
In this case, 12 defendants received death sentences. Two of them—Erfan Esfandyari and Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi—were executed on July 19, 2026.
The remaining 10 prisoners continue to face imminent execution.
Reports indicate that Alireza Sepahi, Abolfazl Sepahi, and Ali Dashti were recently transferred to solitary confinement after final family visits—a procedure widely regarded in Iran’s prison system as a precursor to execution.
Several inmates at Dastgerd Prison have reportedly launched a hunger strike in protest against the transfers. Other prisoners sentenced in the same case include:
- Qaem Hosseini
- Shervin Bagherian
- Amirhossein Safari
- Amirhossein Maleki
- Abolfazl Ebrahimi
- Alireza Raeisi
- Amirhossein Ebrahimi Analoucheh
As concerns mounted, the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran called on the regime to immediately halt the executions of the ten remaining defendants in the Alikhani Square case.
Additional Protesters Face Execution Across Iran
The campaign extends far beyond these two cases.
Authorities have confirmed the death sentences of brothers Akbar Arabzadeh, 29, and Mehdi Arabzadeh, 25, who were arrested in the Chamran district of Isfahan on January 10, 2026. They were accused of moharebeh and setting fire to a Basij base.
Their families and legal representatives reject the accusations, arguing that the verdict relied primarily on testimony provided by Basij members rather than credible evidence.
Another alarming case involves Sepehr Amirzadeh, a medical student born in 2004, who reportedly received a death sentence after providing medical assistance to injured protesters during demonstrations in Isfahan.
Sources say security agencies have pressured his family into remaining silent about his case.
Executions Spread to Other Provinces
The escalation is not limited to Isfahan.
In Tehran, Ahad Shokouhian, currently imprisoned in Qezel Hesar Prison, has reportedly been sentenced to death three separate times by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court.
In Mashhad, Mehdi Zarif, a 22-year-old protester, received his death sentence on his birthday after reportedly enduring intense interrogation and being forced to make coerced confessions.
Meanwhile, in Fars Province, the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz sentenced Mojtaba Dehbandi and Kianoush Hamzeh’i Kazerouni to death. One of the central accusations against them involved transporting and providing medical assistance to injured demonstrators. Security forces reportedly identified the pair through surveillance camera footage before arresting them.
Executions Continue Despite International Outcry
The regime has continued implementing death sentences even as international criticism grows.
On July 22, 2026, the judiciary announced the execution of Mehdi Khanaki, who had been arrested during the January uprising in Alborz Province.
Only days earlier, Mohammad Amini Dehaghani, arrested during protests in Dehaghan, Isfahan Province, was also executed.
Recent executions additionally include:
- Erfan Esfandyari
- Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi
- Aref Khoshkar, who had previously been arrested during the 2022 nationwide protests.
The steady implementation of these death sentences underscores the regime’s determination to use capital punishment as a central instrument of political repression.
Prison Resistance Grows Amid Deteriorating Conditions
At the same time, resistance inside Iran’s prisons has intensified.
Prisoners at Dastgerd Prison have begun hunger strikes protesting the transfer of condemned inmates to solitary confinement, while the mass hunger strike launched by approximately 1,500 death-row prisoners in Qezel Hesar Prison has continued to expand in opposition to the accelerating wave of executions.
Reports from Dastgerd Prison also indicate a meningitis outbreak, the quarantine of several prison wards, and severe shortages of medical care, further worsening already harsh conditions.
Capital Punishment as a Tool of Political Intimidation
The Iranian regime has increasingly relied on broadly defined charges such as moharebeh (“waging war against God”) and baghi (“armed rebellion”) to secure death sentences against political prisoners and protesters.
The unprecedented concentration of capital cases involving participants in the January 2026 uprising—particularly in Isfahan—suggests that the regime has entered a new phase of judicial repression. Rather than serving justice, the expanding use of executions appears designed to instill fear throughout society, deter future protests, and preserve the regime’s grip on power through intimidation.
