Iran’s Accelerating Execution Wave Targets Protest Detainees

On 4 May 2026 Iran’s judiciary announced the hanging of three men—Mehdi Rassouli (25), Mohammad Reza Miri (21) and Ebrahim Dolatabadi—convicted for Mashhad unrest in January. The state also executed karate champion Sassan Azadvar Joonqani and, in late 2025, executed Mehrab Abdollahzadeh for killing a Basij officer. UN estimates at least 21 executions since the war began in February 2026.

The Guardian

Protests began in December 2025 over grievances, peaked on 8-9 January 2026, and were followed by a war after a US-Israeli strike on 28 February 2026, prompting Tehran to tighten security and accelerate cases.

The Straits Times

Rassouli and Miri were sentenced for killing an officer; Dolatabadi was labeled an “instigator” of Mashhad unrest. Azadvar, a karate champion, was convicted of “moharebeh” for alleged stone attacks on a vehicle. Abdollahzadeh received a death sentence for “corruption on earth” for killing officer Abbas Fatemiyeh in 2022.

The Jerusalem Post

Human-rights monitors say trials lasted hours, relied on forced confessions, and offered limited representation. Relatives of Abdollahzadeh allege severe physical and psychological torture; Hengaw calls Azadvar’s case “marked by serious legal ambiguities.”

The Guardian

Iran has executed 24 prisoners since March 2026 (Iran Human Rights). UN data show at least 21 executions and over 4,000 arrests since the war began. Amnesty documented 13 men tortured; 1,639 were hanged in 2025, second only to China.

The Straits Times

Iranian officials say Rassouli and Miri killed a security officer and label Azadvar’s conduct as “effective cooperation with the enemy.” The judiciary says defendants had representation. Tehran blames protests on “rioters” backed by United States and Israel. UN warned of a rise in capital punishment, and judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said courts process detainee cases “outside normal procedures” and faster.

Euronews

Iran Human Rights calls three executed men political prisoners sentenced after “unfair trials in the revolutionary courts.” Amnesty International urged world not to “stand idly by.” Hengaw noted no credible evidence in Azadvar’s case. Rights groups say Iran’s execution rate trails China.

Euronews

Iran claims Abdollahzadeh killed the Basij officer, yet CCTV footage shows he was not at the scene. Execution sites for Rassouli, Miri and Dolatabadi remain undisclosed. Legal definition of “moharebeh” applied to Azadvar is contested.

The Guardian

• “Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of IHR, said: “The international community, especially the European Union, must respond decisively to this ongoing wave of executions.” — Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, Iran Human Rights

The Guardian

• “not stand idly by while the Iranian authorities continue to escalate the arbitrary execution of political dissidents and protesters to instil fear” — Amnesty International

The Guardian

• “Mr. Abdollahzadeh was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture during detention to extract forced confessions,” — Relatives of Mehrab Abdollahzadeh

The Jerusalem Post

• “Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei recently stated that courts should process cases of detainees “outside normal procedures” and at a faster pace.” — Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Judiciary chief

Euronews

The UN has called for an immediate halt to the death-penalty surge, while the EU debates targeted sanctions. Judiciary chief Ejei’s push for faster case processing suggests further executions unless diplomatic pressure intensifies.

Euronews