On July 28, 2026, the Islamic Republic of Iran publicly executed two protesters, Abolfazl Sepahi and Amir Safari, in the central city of Isfahan. The executions were carried out at dawn in Alikhani Square, where authorities had erected a makeshift stage the evening before. The regime claims the two were among at least 12 young men sentenced to death for the killing of four police officers during anti-regime protests in Isfahan in January 2026.

Several hundred people gathered near the execution site, but instead of supporting the event, they chanted slogans against the police, leading anti-riot units to disperse the crowd.

Iran’s last politically motivated public execution occurred in 2022, when Majidreza Rahnavard was executed for killing a member of the security forces in Mashhad during the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement.

According to the independent Shargh newspaper, at least 88 people were publicly executed in Iran between 2011 and 2023. Amnesty International reports that Iran executed at least 2,159 people in 2025, mostly for drug trafficking offenses. Since the start of 2026, Amnesty International states that at least 52 people convicted in connection with the January protests have been arbitrarily executed following trials by Revolutionary Courts that were tainted by torture and unfair procedures.

The Islamic Republic passed a special law during the 12-day war in June 2025 and has since adopted a new strategy to repress protesters, especially those involved in the January 2026 demonstrations.

Morayef, a representative cited by France 24, said, "The Iranian authorities are unleashing a horrifying wave of executions and death sentences to punish and suppress dissent and project an image of strength and absolute control in the wake of the January popular uprising and amid ongoing attacks by US and Israeli forces."

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