The Iranian regime has once again demonstrated its reliance on public executions as a tool of intimidation. On 28 July 2026, two young protesters were publicly hanged in Isfahan’s Shahid Alikhani Square—the very location where anti-government demonstrations had taken place during the nationwide protests earlier this year. The executions have drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organizations and renewed international concern over Tehran’s use of the death penalty to silence dissent.
According to reports, the two men, Abdolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amir Hossein Safari Hosseinabadi, had been convicted over allegations that they were involved in the deaths of four security personnel during the January protests. Iranian authorities staged the executions in public before a crowd in what many observers described as an attempt to instill fear among citizens and discourage further demonstrations. Witnesses reportedly shouted “Dishonorable!” as the executions were carried out, reflecting public outrage even in the face of heavy security measures.
Human rights experts have raised serious concerns about the fairness of the judicial process. The United Nations Human Rights Office and international rights organizations reported allegations that the defendants were subjected to enforced disappearance, denied access to lawyers of their own choosing, and forced to confess under torture. Such allegations have fueled criticism that the trials failed to meet internationally recognized standards of due process.
The executions are part of a much broader campaign of repression following the nationwide protests that swept across Iran in January. Since then, dozens of protesters have reportedly been sentenced to death, while many more remain imprisoned under harsh conditions. Rights groups warn that the authorities are increasingly using capital punishment as a political weapon designed to suppress public opposition rather than to administer justice.
These latest executions come at a time when resistance inside Iranian prisons is also intensifying. In Ghezel Hesar Prison, one of Iran’s largest detention facilities, more than 1,500 death-row prisoners have launched an unprecedented hunger strike to protest the surge in executions. Some prisoners have reportedly sewn their lips shut in a desperate attempt to draw international attention to what they describe as systematic abuse of the death penalty.
Human rights campaigners argue that public executions are intended not only to punish individuals but also to send a message of fear to society at large. However, they contend that such measures have failed to extinguish public demands for freedom, justice, and accountability. Instead, every execution further deepens international concern about Iran’s human rights record and strengthens calls for governments, the United Nations, and democratic institutions to take concrete action against the regime’s continued violations of fundamental rights.
As pressure grows both inside and outside Iran, campaigners insist that silence from the international community only emboldens further repression. They are urging democratic governments to increase diplomatic pressure, support independent investigations into human rights abuses, and work toward holding those responsible for unlawful executions accountable under international law.