Iran | Protesters Erfan Esfandiari and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi Hanged; Total January Protest Executions Reach 23

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 19 July 2026: State media reported the execution of protesters Erfan Esfandiari and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, an Afghan national, in connection to the 8 January protests in Isfahan.

Their executions bring the total number of protesters executed in connection with the January 2026 protests to at least 23. Another January protester, Mohammad Amini Dehaghani, was hanged in Isfahan Central Prison six days ago.

At the time, IHRNGO Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam stated, "With the breakdown of the ceasefire and the resumption of the war, we are deeply concerned that the authorities will exploit the situation to intensify the execution of political prisoners. Hundreds of political prisoners and protesters are currently facing capital charges, and we estimate that around 100 have already been sentenced to death. The international community, and the European Union in particular, must make an immediate moratorium on executions a central issue in any dialogue or negotiations with the Islamic Republic.”

According to the Mizan News Agency, Erfan Esfandiari (right photo) and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi (left photo) were hanged at an undisclosed location on 19 July 2026. IHRNGO has established the location of their executions as Isfahan (Dastgerd) Central Prison.

They were accused of killing four security forces and committing arson and vandalism during the protests in Shahid Alikhani Square in Isfahan on 8 January. The exact charges against the protesters have not been specified. State media reported the arrests of four people in relation to the case on 11 January. According to the execution announcement, indictments were issued against 16 individuals in the case.

Alireza Sepahi, Abolfazl Sepahi, Ghaem Hosseini, Shervin Bagherian, Amirhossein Safari, Amirhossein Maleki, Ali Dashti, Abolfazl Ebrahimi, Alireza Raisi and Amirhossein Ebrahimi have also reportedly been sentenced to death in the same case.

According to unofficial reports, Erfan was 18 and Gol Mohammad, an Afghan national, was 23 years old. IHRNGO has not been able to independently verify Erfan’s exact age at the time of the alleged offence.

At the time of writing, no further information is available about the case.

IHRNGO has documented systemic violations of due process and fair trial rights in death penalty cases. On 16 May, the organisation warned that the Islamic Republic's judiciary is actively weaponising state-approved lawyers to facilitate and expedite the execution of arrested protesters. Families of death row prisoners are also routinely silenced through threats and coercion to prevent them from speaking out about their loved ones’ cases. Consequently, no independent information is available on many of these cases, including that of Mohammad Amini Dehaghani.

At least 23 protesters have been executed in relation to the January 2026 protests since 19 March, listed here in order of execution: Saleh Mohammadi, Saeed Davodi, Mehdi Ghasemi, Amirhossein Hatami, Mohammad Amin Biglari, Shahin Vahedparast Kolor, Ali Fahim, Amir Ali Mir Jafari, Erfan Kiani, Sasan Azadvar, Ebrahim Dolatabadnejad, Mehdi Rasouli, Mohammadreza Miri, Mohammad Abbasi, Abbas Akbari Feizabadi, Ashkan Maleki, Mehrdad Mohammadinia, Fathollah Avari, Javad Zamani, Abolfazl Saedi, Mohammad Amini Dehaghani, Erfan Esfandiari and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi.

Mehrab Abdollahzadeh and Aref Khoshkar, two “Woman, Life, Freedom” protesters, were also executed during this period.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, July 19, 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

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