Iran | 70+ January Protesters Awaiting the Gallows in Isfahan Prison; At Least 26 at Imminent Risk of Execution

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 21 July 2026: More than 70 protesters arrested in connection with the January 2026 protests are facing execution at Isfahan Central Prison, with 26 held in pre-execution solitary confinement cells or isolation suites. Of the 31 individuals identified by IHRNGO, at least one was under 18 at the time of the alleged offence and three are Afghan nationals. Three other protesters are suspected to have been under 18 at the time of their alleged offences, which IHRNGO is working to verify.

At least five protesters arrested in connection with the January protests have been executed at the prison. Hundreds of other protesters are at risk of the death penalty in Iran. 

IHRNGO Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam stated, "The fact that more than 70 protesters are on death row in one prison indicates that the true number of death sentences issued nationwide is far higher than previously estimated. We are deeply concerned that the authorities will exploit the resumption of war to carry out these executions while international attention is focused elsewhere. Sustained and decisive international pressure remains the only way to prevent another wave of executions."

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, more than seventy protesters are currently on death row in Isfahan (Dastgerd) Central Prison. The protesters are from the cities of Isfahan, Mamseni, Shahr Reza and Khomeini Shahr and are detained in Wards 2, 3, 5, and 8. Fourteen of the protesters who were sentenced to death in the “Alikhani Square” case have been transferred to the pre-execution solitary confinement cells and are at imminent risk of execution. Further details regarding the case are outlined below in this report.

An informed IHRNGO source told IHRNGO, "Twelve other protesters are also currently held in quarantine suites [isolation suites holding 3-4 people]. They’ve been told that their executions will be carried out soon, but the death sentences of five of them haven’t even been upheld by the Supreme Court yet.”

Two wards at the prison staged hunger strikes in protest against the planned executions, but according to IHRNGO sources, “Under intense pressure and threats from prison authorities, the prisoners were forced to accept their meals, bringing the protest to an abrupt end.”

Families are also facing continued threats and pressure to prevent them from publicising their loved ones’ cases. 

IHRNGO has identified 31 of the more than 70 protesters, whose details are provided below. 

Mehran Seyedzadeh is one of the protesters currently at risk of execution at the prison. He was arrested at his home along with his step-brother. An informed source told IHRNGO: “When security agents raided their home to arrest Mehran, he pushed one of the agents down the stairs as he was trying to escape, which left the agent with a concussion.”

In custody, Mehran was held incommunicado for three months and subjected to torture, with his right arm and two teeth broken to extract self-incriminating confessions. He was ultimately tried without a lawyer. Branch One of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death for charges relating to the death of two IRGC forces during the January protests, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court. 

It is not clear whether a new case has been brought against Mehran for resisting arrest. 

Afshar Shah Ahmadi, Iman Shafayi and Sadreddin Ahmadzadeh are three Afghan nationals arrested on 10 January. They were held incommunicado in the custody of the Ministry of Intelligence for forty days. They have been sentenced to death for charges relating to the arson of a police station. 

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Afshar and Iman lived in Isfahan with their families, and Sadreddin had moved to Iran for work. Prior to his arrest, Iman had a respiratory condition that deteriorated during interrogations. Authorities provided no medical treatment throughout this period, causing him to develop severe asthma, and he continues to be denied medical care.” 

On 30 April, IHRNGO published the names of 14 other protesters at risk of execution at the prison: Mansour Jafari (17), Shahin Soleimani (23), Hossein Ghaleh Beigi (22), Reza Moazeni (23), Yaser Mokhtari (23), Moslem Heidari (30), Ramezan Asadi, Abolfazl Hashemian, Daniel Harouni, Navid Shirani, Seyed Reza Hassanlu, Davoud Aminzadeh, Mobin Soltani and Pejman Haghighan.  

The “Alikhani Square” Case

During the nationwide protests of December 2025 to January 2026, Isfahan’s Alikhani Square was one of the scenes of protests. Islamic Republic authorities reported that four security forces were killed on 8 January. According to informed IHRNGO sources, 62 people were originally arrested in relation to the deaths of four security forces that night and subjected to one to three months of interrogations and torture. 

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Many of the defendants in the case didn’t even have proper trials. Phone and online video trials were conducted from prison without any lawyers present, not even an appointed one. It was just them in a room with two guards and a judge on the other end of the line. Most of their sentences have been upheld by Branches 9 and 39 of the Supreme Court.” 

On 19 July, state media announced the executions of Erfan Esfandiari and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, an Afghan national, in connection with the events of that night. According to the announcement, 16 people were indicted in the case. IHRNGO has established the identities of thirteen remaining defendants in the case. The identity of the fourteenth defendant has not been determined at the time of writing. 

The fourteen protesters have been transferred to solitary confinement, and according to informed IHRNGO sources, “Some of them have already had family visits; that may be their last.”

The details of the thirteen protesters in the case are as follows:

1. Alireza Raisi, 22 years old and from Isfahan.
2. Alireza Sepahi, 25 years old and from Isfahan. He was arrested at 2am on 10th January after security forces stormed his house. Alireza was shot in the leg as he was trying to escape and arrested. His mother was also arrested. He received three death sentences.
3. Abolfazl Sepahi, 23 years old and from Isfahan. He is the paternal cousin of Alireza and has also received three death sentences.
4. Amirhossein Maleki, 20 years old and from Isfahan.
5. Abolfazl Ebrahimi, 18 or 19 years old and from Isfahan. Abolfazl may have been under 18 at the time of the alleged offence which IHRNGO is working to verify.
6. Amirhossein Ebrahimi, 20 years old and from the village of Analoujeh in Isfahan.
7. Shervin Bagherian, 18 or 19 years old from Isfahan. His sentence has not been confirmed by the Supreme Court yet. A short clip of Shervin’s interrogation was aired by state media on 23 January. Shervin was reportedly under 18 at the time of the alleged offence which IHRNGO is working to verify.
8. Alireza Dashti, 20 years old and from Isfahan.
9. Ghaem Hosseini, 21 years old and from Isfahan.
10. Javad Talebpour from Khomeini Shahr. His sentence has not been confirmed by the Supreme Court yet. IHRNGO identified Javad as being at risk of execution on 30 April.
11. Mehdi Eskandari, 28 years old and from Isfahan. His sentence has not been confirmed by the Supreme Court yet. IHRNGO identified Mehdi as being at risk of execution on 30 April.
12. Hossein Safari, 28 years old and from Isfahan.
13. Sepehr Hounjani, 17 or 18 years old and from Isfahan. Sepehr was reportedly under 18 at the time of the alleged offence which IHRNGO is working to verify.

The remaining protesters arrested in connection with this case have received prison sentences of between five and ten years. 

The Execution of Erfan Esfandiari and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi

IHRNGO has obtained additional information about Erfan Esfandiari and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi who were executed at the prison on 19 July. 

Erfan, 18, was from Isfahan and Gol Mohammad, 23, was from Harat in Afghanistan and had moved to Isfahan with his family from a young age. Erfan was held incommunicado in the custody of the Isfahan intelligence services for approximately two months. 

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Both protesters faced their initial trial at Branch One of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court before Judge Barati, in a proceeding that lasted for only about ten minutes. Erfan detailed the torture he had endured in front of the judge, but the presiding judge paid no attention to his defence, remarking at that moment that a single execution was insufficient because anyone who kills an IRGC member should be executed three or four times over.”

Erfan and Gol Mohammad were sentenced to death but according to IHRNGO sources, “Erfan’s death sentence was overturned twice and was due to be commuted to 15 years in prison. However, security officials deliberately intervened, transferring the case to a court of equal standing to force the reinstatement of the death penalty. Ultimately, his sentence was upheld by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court.”

Describing the night prior to their execution, the source said: “From midnight until 5 am, the families of both Erfan and Gol Mohammad were outside the prison gates. Two officers explicitly lied to Gol Mohammad's family, telling them to go home because the execution would not take place, yet both families remained outside waiting for news. Prison authorities ultimately refused to provide them with any information, forcing the families to return home. Shortly afterwards, the families were contacted and informed that the executions had taken place.” 

Of the 23 protesters executed in connection to the January protests, five were hanged in Isfahan Central Prison: Sasan Azadvar, Erfan Kiani, Mohammad Amini Dehaghani, Erfan Esfandiari and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi. Abbas Akbari Feizabadi was also hanged at an undisclosed location in Isfahan province.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, July 21, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde

Death Penalty News For a World without the Death Penalty