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By Linda Ikeji 3 November 2026, 2:27 pm 0 comments
Iran on Tuesday, November 3, executed two young men convicted in connection with January’s nationwide protests, amid allegations by human rights organisations that they were tortured and denied a fair trial.
Amirhossein Maleki, 20, and Amirhossein Ebrahimi, 19, were hanged over events in Alikhani Square in the central city of Isfahan, according to the Norway-based organisation Iran Human Rights (IHR). Authorities say four security officers lost their lives during the unrest.
The executions bring the number of men put to demise in connection with the protests to 36, IHR said. Rights groups describe the hangings as an attempt to intimidate the population following demonstrations they say were suppressed in a crackdown that claimed thousands of lives. According to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, Maleki and Ebrahimi were convicted over what authorities described as “brutal and atrocious actions” that led to the demise of four police officers. Their sentences were upheld by Iran’s supreme court.
Mizan said the men received capital sentences on charges of “waging war against God” and “corruption on earth”. Alikhani Square was a centre of protest activity on the nights of January 8 and 9. Seven other men have already been executed in the same case, while three more remain at risk of execution, according to IHR.
The organisation alleged that proceedings were marred by torture, forced confessions and serious violations of due process. It also questioned the authorities’ justification for the executions, saying none of those executed in the case had been charged with murder. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which also confirmed the executions, said defendants and their lawyers had limited access to case files. It highlighted allegations that investigators used pressure and torture during questioning.
Amirsalar Davoudi, a prominent lawyer defending protesters involved in the case, was arrested in October. Another Norway-based rights organisation, Hengaw, alleged that Ebrahimi endured severe physical and psychological torture during interrogation to extract a confession.
IHR further alleged that he was subjected to mock executions and that his 16-year-old brother was tortured and made to confess against him. “The scale of torture and violations of due process in this case is appalling,” IHR director Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam told AFP.
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