TEHRAN, October 13 — Iranian authorities executed five men in the space of one week for their alleged roles in the January 2026 protests, according to Amnesty International and state media reports. The executions occurred between September 30 and October 5, 2026, and involved Ali Hemmati Sistanian, Alireza Raisi, Alireza Sepahi, Majid Nikandish and Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi.
According to the filing, the record shows that Alireza Raisi and Alireza Sepahi were executed in Esfahan on October 5, 2026, after being sentenced in the “Alikhani Square” mass trial. Mizan News Agency reported they were accused of blocking streets, destruction of property, arson and involvement in the deaths of four security agents during protests in Esfahan on January 8, 2026. Their forced “confessions” were broadcast on state media on January 23, 2026, prior to trial.
On the timeline, sources familiar with the case say Amnesty International learned that agents subjected Alireza Sepahi to torture and other ill-treatment in detention, including prolonged solitary confinement, beatings and electric shocks. He was denied access to a lawyer during interrogations at the investigation stage.
Majid Nikandish and Ali Hemmati Sistanian were executed on September 30, 2026, in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan province. According to Mizan News Agency, they were accused of similar acts during protests in Mashhad on January 8, 2026, which authorities labelled a “coup.” Their televised forced “confessions,” taken at the scene of arrest and during interrogations without legal access, were used as evidence to convict and sentence them to death.
According to Iran Human Rights, an independent human rights organization based outside Iran, Majid Nikandish was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, including prolonged solitary confinement and suspension from his arms, resulting in a dislocated shoulder and broken jaw. Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi was executed on October 3, 2026, in Shahr-e Kord, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.
Mizan News Agency reported he was convicted and sentenced to death for “waging war against God” through drawing and firing a firearm, and for gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security, in relation to protests on January 8, 2026. His forced “confessions” were televised and used as evidence. Amnesty International said these executions followed a frightening and familiar pattern: denial of access to lawyers during interrogations, refusal to investigate claims of torture, accusations of involvement in killings of security forces, use of televised forced “confessions” as evidence, and trials before Revolutionary Courts that are inherently unfair.
The organization noted that scores of people including dissidents and protesters remain at risk of politically motivated executions as authorities intensify repression citing “wartime conditions” and national security threats. Amnesty International called for coordinated diplomatic pressure on Iran to halt all planned executions.
It also underscored the urgent need for the referral of the situation in Iran to the International Criminal Court by the UN Security Council and the establishment of an international criminal justice mechanism for Iran through the UN General Assembly, citing systemic impunity that has emboldened authorities to continue their assault on the right to life. Iranian authorities have executed at least 34 individuals in relation to the January 2026 uprising, during which security forces used unlawful lethal force on a massive scale, killing thousands of protesters and bystanders on January 8 and 9.
Executions intensified further following the unlawful US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, 2026, while executions for drug-related and other offences have continued. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty unconditionally, for all crimes and under any circumstances.
The organization urges global action to end these politically motivated killings. Looking ahead, watch for potential UN Security Council deliberations on Iran and any further announcements from Iranian judiciary sources regarding upcoming executions.
