The Iranian regime is stepping up the execution of protesters

 par Massoumeh Raouf 

The regime’s repression is being consolidated through show trials, summary trials and death sentences against young people and minors who took part in the January 2026 protests

Whilst international attention remains focused on geopolitical tensions and regional conflicts, the Iranian regime continues, behind the scenes, a policy of relentlessly brutal repression. Taking advantage of this context, the authorities are fast-tracking legal proceedings against protesters detained during the January 2026 uprising, using the justice system as a tool to eliminate all forms of opposition.

A judicial system in the service of repression

On 19 March 2026, on the eve of Nowruz — the Iranian New Year —, three detainees arrested during the January protests were executed in Qom, the religious centre of Iranian power:

• Mehdi Ghassemi
• Saleh Mohammadi
• Saeed Davoudi

Behind the official charges lies a different reality: lives brutally cut short and deeply questionable judicial proceedings. Among the victims, Saleh Mohammadi, aged 19, was a promising wrestler, a member of the Iranian national team and a winner of several medals. Barely eight days after turning twenty, he was hanged without his family being informed or given the chance to say goodbye.

In his last meeting with his loved ones, he spoke of his plans: to return to training, to compete and to aim for the Olympic Games. He had only asked his family to bring him some new clothes for the New Year. Days later, he was executed.

Mehdi Ghassemi and Saeed Davoudi shared similar stories. All three had taken part in the demonstrations amidst a popular movement against injustice. They were committed young men, not criminals, despite the account presented by the Iranian authorities. The regime’s justice system charged them with moharebeh (enmity against God) and the murder of two security officers during the protests on 8 January. However, according to various sources, no convincing material evidence was presented, and some contradictory details cast doubt on the official version.

In the case of Saleh Mohammadi, serious human rights violations were documented: arbitrary detention, physical and psychological torture, and the extraction of confessions under duress. Having sustained injuries prior to his arrest, he was subjected to abuse targeting his injured areas. With no real access to an independent defence and under constant pressure, he was convicted on the basis of coerced statements, which were later broadcast on state television.

The speed of the proceedings also raises suspicions. The trial and execution were completed in less than two and a half months, a speed that many observers describe as a parody of justice incompatible with the minimum standards of a fair trial. The authorities stated that the executions were carried out “in the presence of a group of people”, a phrase which, in the Iranian context, is often used to give the punishment an exemplary character and to warn against future protests.

 Growing repression against minors

Beyond these three executions, several recent cases highlight an alarming trend: the rise in death sentences against minors in Iran. Among them are:

• Mohammad Hossein Shokri, aged 16
• Taha Alimirzaei, aged 17
• Ahoura Safayi Rad, aged 16

All of them are at imminent risk of execution. The names of Melika Azizi and Diana Taherabadi, both aged 16, whose sentences have been confirmed, are also circulating on social media.

Massoumeh Raouf — author, former political prisoner and journalist