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// DOSSIER — iran-executes-men-january-protest-charges
Iran Executes Two Men Over January Protest Charges
REL_TIME: 29 Jul 2026 05:42Z · LANG: EN
On July 28, 2026, Iranian authorities publicly executed Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi by hanging in Alikhani Square, Isfahan. The two men were convicted of killing four police officers, setting fire to a police station, and damaging public buildings during the massive nationwide anti-government protests in January 2026. They were part of a larger group of individuals sentenced to death in the same trial, with two others already executed earlier in the month. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and HRANA, have strongly condemned the executions, characterizing them as arbitrary, politically motivated, and the result of unfair trials based on forced confessions.
// Background
The January 2026 protests, triggered by a deepening economic crisis, escalated into widespread calls to overthrow Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The government responded with the deadliest crackdown in the Islamic Republic's 47-year history, resulting in over 7,000 deaths according to HRANA (3,000 acknowledged by the government) and over 50,000 arrests. The protests subsided after the outbreak of war between Iran and a US-Israeli coalition on February 28, 2026. Despite a temporary truce in June, geopolitical tensions remain high.
// Key Developments
- Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi were publicly hanged at dawn in Isfahan's Alikhani Square.
- The men were convicted of killing four police officers and damaging public property during the January 2026 anti-government protests.
- The executions are part of a broader crackdown on the January protests, which resulted in thousands of deaths and over 50,000 arrests.
- Amnesty International reported that at least 26 people have been arbitrarily executed in connection with the January protests following unfair trials.
- The bodies of the executed men have not been returned to their families, sparking protests and concern outside an Isfahan prison.
// Timeline
-
Four police officers are killed in Alikhani Square, Isfahan, during nationwide anti-government protests.
-
The United States and Israel launch airstrikes on Iran, initiating a war that largely stamps out the domestic protests.
-
A truce agreement temporarily pauses the war between Iran and the US-Israeli coalition.
-
The United States abruptly suspends a two-week campaign of renewed airstrikes on Iran.
-
UN experts report that at least 24 people have been executed in connection with the January protests so far in 2026.
-
Iran publicly executes Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi in Isfahan.
// Perspectives
[Iranian Judiciary and State Media]
Assert that the executions are lawful punishments for individuals convicted of killing security forces, burning a police station, and destroying public property during riots.
[Amnesty International and HRANA]
Condemn the executions as arbitrary, politically motivated acts of state terror designed to crush dissent, noting they rely on torture-tainted confessions and secretive, unfair trials.
[Families of the Accused]
Expressing deep concern for their loved ones, gathering outside the Isfahan prison, and demanding the return of the executed men's bodies.
// Quotes
“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”
“The muted response from the international community emboldens the Iranian authorities to continue their deadly rampage.”
