Death sentences during the Mahsa Amini protests is a list of Iranian citizens sentenced to death or charged with crimes punishable by death in the Islamic Republic of Iran during the Mahsa Amini protests. Following rushed trials that were widely criticized by human rights organizations, the Islamic Republic has executed eight protestors, Mohsen Shekari, Majidreza Rahnavard, Mohammad Mehdi Karami, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi, Saeed Yaghoobi and Mohammad Ghobadloo. Dozens of protesters have been charged with offenses that are punishable by death in Iran.
The list does not include demonstrators who have been killed by police during the protests, and it does not include people who received death sentences for convictions unrelated to the protests.
Overview Thousands of protesters have been detained as a result of the Mahsa Amini protests, and dozens have been charged with offenses such as Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") or Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth"), which are punishable by death under the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Analysts have warned that the Islamic Republic is "determined to carry out mass executions," and "keeps the execution cases as vague as possible to 'confuse' domestic and international reactions until the last minute," said Hossein Bastani, a prominent political analyst for BBC Persian. He continued that "worldwide, practical reactions might still prevent a human disaster."
Many of the trials have taken place in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Court system. The system has received international criticism for holding trials behind closed doors and often not allowing defendants to review the evidence used against them. In Tehran, most trials have been presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati, who faces U.S. sanctions for meting out harsh punishments. A statement by the United States Department of the Treasury criticized Salvati for handing down more than 100 death sentences and lengthy prison sentences to political prisoners, human rights activists, media workers, and "others seeking to exercise freedom of assembly."
Executions On 8 December 2022, Iran executed Mohsen Shekari for Moharebeh related to allegations that he blocked a road and stabbed a Basij militiaman during a protest of Amini's death. Shekari's execution was the first to be carried out as a direct result of the protests. Four days later, on 12 December, Iran publicly executed Majidreza Rahnavard by hanging him from a crane after he was convicted of Moharebeh following allegations that he murdered two Basij militiamen. Rahnavard's execution was the first public execution related to the Mahsa Amini protests. Both Shekari and Rahnavard were allegedly subjected to torture to extract coerced and false confessions.
After nearly a month, on 7 January 2023, Iran carried out the executions of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, who, like Shekari and Rahnavard, were accused of crimes involving alleged attacks on Basij militiamen; they were convicted of Mofsed-e-filarz. Both were also allegedly subjected to torture, and Karami was allegedly subjected to sexual violence at the hands of his jailers; both asserted their innocence of the charges that led to their executions. Human rights organizations accused Iranian authorities of using "shoddy evidence" to convict both men.
After a hiatus lasting over four months, Iran carried out the executions of three men – Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi, and Saeed Yaghoobi – on 19 May 2023. Like Shekari and Rahnavard, the three men were convicted of Moharebeh despite allegations that Iranian authorities subjected them to torture to extract forced confessions. One of Kazemi's family members accused Iranian agents of visiting the family two days after Kazemi's execution, assaulting his brothers and parents, and arresting three of his siblings.
Human rights groups have criticized Iran for their elevated rate of executions in the face of the protests, even for crimes unrelated to the protests, like drug offenses. Human rights groups have accused Iranian officials of using capital punishment as a tool to intimidate the public and quell dissent.
Responses Iranian citizens, human rights groups, and the international community have put immense pressure on the Islamic Republic government to discontinue political executions. Human rights organizations have condemned the use of "sham trials designed to intimidate protestors" and the "chilling use of the death penalty in rush trials." United Nations human rights experts have "raised alarm over detained protesters" and condemned death sentences "following unfair trials" resulting in "arbitrary deprivation of life." According to Amnesty International, "several defendants were tortured, and their torture-tainted 'confessions' were used as evidence. State media broadcast forced 'confessions' of at least nine defendants prior to trial."
Numerous members of parliament in European countries, including those in Germany, Sweden, France, and Netherlands have taken on the political sponsorship of protesters who are currently facing the death penalty.
Following pressure from both inside and outside the country, on December 16, 2022, the Islamic Republic let 17-year-old Sonia Sharifi out on bail. She had been reportedly charged with Moharebeh ("waging war against God"), but just before her release, the prosecutor stated that she has not yet been formally charged.
The death sentences against co-accused Hamid Ghare-Hasanlou, Hossein Mohammadi, and Reza Aria were overturned on January 3, 2023, "due to the existence of defects in the proceedings," and retrial was ordered by the Supreme Court of Iran.
The U.S. envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, tweeted that Iran's executions of protesters are "an affront to the human rights and basic dignity of all Iranians." The European Union has demanded that Iran abolish the death penalty.
List of people currently facing the death penalty The following list contains information on many of those currently facing death sentences in Iran directly for their involvement in the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests, triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini.
+NameAgeDetails of the arrestChargeDescription by the prosecutorJudgeTrialSentenceAppealFurther informationRef.Mohsen Shekari (Persian: محسن شکاری)22Tehran protestsMoharebeh ("Waging War Against God")Blocked a street in Tehran Abolqasem SalavatiNovember 1, 2022DeathFailedExecuted by hanging on December 8, 2022Majidreza Rahnavard (Persian: مجیدرضا رهنورد)23MashhadMoharebeh ("Waging War Against God")Allegedly killed two Basij militia forcesHadi MansouriNovember 29, 2022DeathUnknownExecuted by public hanging on December 12, 2022Mohammad Mehdi Karami (Persian: محمد مهدی کرمی)21Hadis Najafi's 40th day memorialMofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth")Allegedly involved in attacking a Basij militia by the name of AjamianMoosa AsefolhosseiniNovember 30, 2022DeathFailedExecuted by hanging on January 7, 2023Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini (Persian: سیدمحمد حسینی)39Hadis Najafi's 40th day memorialMofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth")Allegedly involved in attacking a Basij militia by the name of AjamianMoosa AsefolhosseiniNovember 30, 2022DeathFailedExecuted by hanging on January 7, 2023Saleh Mirhashemi (Persian: صالح میرهاشمی)37IsfahanBaghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government")Allegedly involved in attacking Basij militiaMorteza BaratiDeathUnknownExecuted by hanging on May 19, 2023Majid Kazemi (Persian: مجید کاظمی)IsfahanBaghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government")Allegedly involved in attacking Basij militia Morteza BaratiDeathUnknownExecuted by hanging on May 19, 2023Saeed Yaghoobi (Persian: سعید یعقوبی)IsfahanBaghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government")Allegedly involved in attacking Basij militia Morteza BaratiDeathUnknownExecuted by hanging on May 19, 2023Mohammad Ghobadloo (Persian: محمد قبادلو)22Tehran protestsMoharebeh ("Waging War Against God"), Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth")Allegedly involved in the death of a security forceAbolqasem SalavatiOctober 29, 2022Death Failed (December 24, 2022)Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer. Trial was held in secret; his defense attorney was barred from attending
Clara Bünger, a member of the German parliament, sponsored him on December 12, 2022; and Caroline Lucas, a member of the British parliament, sponsored him in January 2023
Executed on January 23, 2024Mohammad Boroughani (Persian: محمد بروغنی)18Tehran protestsMoharebeh ("Waging War Against God")Setting fire to the office of the governor of PakdashtAbolqasem SalavatiOctober 29, 2022DeathFailed but execution is temporarily suspendedProhibited from selecting their own lawyer, Martin Diedenhofen, a member of the German parliament, sponsored him on December 9, 2022Shoaib Mirblouchezhi Rigi (Persian: شعیب میربلوچزهی ریگی)18ZahedanMofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth")December 19, 2022DeathProhibited from selecting his own lawyer, Confessions extracted through tortureManouchehr Mehman Navaz (Persian: منوچهر مهماننواز)45Tehran protestsMoharebeh ("Waging War Against God")Disturbing public order and participating in illegal demonstrationsMohammadreza AmoozadOctober 30, 2022DeathUnknownProhibited from selecting their own lawyerKambiz Khorvat (Persian: کامبیز خروت)20ZahedanMoharebeh ("Waging War Against God"), Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth")DeathProhibited from selecting his own lawyerMehdi Bahman (Persian: مهدی بهمن)TehranDeathMehdi Mohammadi Fard (Persian: مهدی محمدیفرد)19SariDeath (twice)Arshia Takdastan (Persian: عرشیا تکدستان)18NowshahrDeathJavad Roohi (Persian: جواد روحی)35NowshahrMoharebeh ("Waging War Against God"), Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth"),
ApostasyDeathMansoor Dehmardeh (Persian: منصور دهمرده)22ZahedanMofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth")DeathEbrahim Naroyi (Persian: ابراهیم نارویی)25ZahedanMoharebeh ("Waging War Against God")DeathMahan Sadrat Marani (Persian: ماهان صدرات مرنی)24Tehran protestsMoharebeh ("Waging War Against God")Blocked the street and set fire; destroyed the plaintiff's phone and injured him with a knifeIman AfshariNovember 3, 2022DeathAcceptedProhibited from selecting his own lawyer The plaintiff withdrew his lawsuit and the execution has been temporarily suspended Mohsen Rezazadeh Gharaghloo (Persian: محسن رضازاده قراقلو)Tehran protestsMoharebeh ("Waging War Against God")Participated in creating a fire, colluded for crimes against the national securityAbolqasem SalavatiOctober 29, 2022Prohibited from selecting their own lawyerSaeed Shirazi (Persian: سعید شیرازی)Tehran protestsMofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth")Incitement to crimes against the security, disturbing public orderAbolqasem SalavatiOctober 29, 2022Prohibited from selecting their own lawyerSaman Seydi (Persian: سامان صیدی) also known as Saman Yasin24Tehran protestsMoharebeh ("Waging War Against God")Shooting three times with a handgunAbolqasem SalavatiOctober 29, 2022DeathAcceptedProhibited from selecting their own lawyer The state-appointed public defender did not have access to the evidence presented by the prosecutor