Execution of Abolfazl Sepahi-Badjanani and Amir-Hossein Safari-Hossein-Abadi in Public
The Islamic Republic executed Abolfazl Sepahi-Badjanani and Amir-Hossein Safari-Hossein-Abadi, two detainees from the December 2024 protests, early Tuesday morning in Alighani Square in Isfahan in a public execution. The action, accompanied by extensive security forces and clashes with protesting citizens, has sparked a fresh wave of concerns about intensified repression, the use of capital punishment to terrorize society, and the fate of other convicts in the case.
The Islamic Republic of Iran executed the death sentences of 23-year-old Abolfazl Sepahi-Badjanani and 29-year-old Amir-Hossein Safari-Hossein-Abadi early Tuesday morning, 6 Mordad 1405 (July 28, 2026), in Alighani Square in Isfahan in front of the public. Both were detainees from the nationwide protests of December 2024 who had been sentenced to death in the case known as “Alighani Square” on charges of involvement in the killing of a government officer. The public execution of these sentences marks the first instance of executing recent protest detainees in public and has been met with strong reactions from human rights activists.
According to reports from human rights organizations, security forces had completely besieged Alighani Square since late last night. Meanwhile, a group of citizens who had gathered at the site to prevent the execution of the sentence faced intervention by security forces. Videos circulated on social networks show clashes between officers and citizens, and local sources reported that several protesters were wounded and arrested.
While judicial authorities’ affiliated media have claimed that the two defendants played a role in killing a government officer during the protests, human rights institutions emphasize that the legal proceedings in this case deviated significantly from fair trial standards.
According to reports from Hengaw, Abolfazl Sepahi and Amir-Hossein Safari were subjected to severe physical and psychological torture following their arrest to coerce them into forced confessions. Additionally, both were denied access to independent counsel of their choice, and the sentences issued were largely based on confessions obtained during their detention.
Concurrently, concerns about the fate of Alireza Sepahi, another defendant in the case, have increased. His family was called for a final visit, but no formal information has been released about his whereabouts or condition. Human rights organizations have warned that the danger of imminent execution of his sentence and that of seven other prisoners in the case still exists.
The execution of these two prisoners has occurred amid widespread international criticism of the use of capital punishment in Iran. Human rights organizations have repeatedly stated that the Islamic Republic uses capital punishment not only as a judicial tool but also as a means to create terror, control the social atmosphere, and silence protests. The public execution of sentences is also viewed by many human rights experts as intended to create public fear and send a deterrent message to society.
According to published statistics, at least 22 detainees from the December 2024 protests have been executed over the past five months, and with the execution of Abolfazl Sepahi-Badjanani and Amir-Hossein Safari-Hossein-Abadi, the number of those executed in the Alighani Square case has reached four. These organizations have warned that the lives of at least eight other prisoners in the same case are in serious danger and have called on the international community to take immediate and effective action to prevent the continuation of this process.
The public execution of these two prisoners has once again drawn public attention to the state of Iran’s judicial system, the manner of handling cases related to protests, and the increased use of capital punishment—a process that, according to human rights institutions, serves intensifying an atmosphere of intimidation and repression of opponents rather than the pursuit of justice.
