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Iran Supreme Court Upholds Judge Tavakoli’s Protest Death Sentences

7/16/2026

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Tavakoli Upholds Deaths

Judge Mohammad Reza Tavakoli, praised by Iranian authorities as a model judge, oversees many recent political death sentences.
Iran’s Supreme Court upheld Tavakoli’s death sentences for 12 men tied to the Jan. 8 Isfahan protests; executions remain pending.
The trial proceeded in three one-hour sessions with 59 defendants who had no lawyers.
Amnesty International logged 44 executions Feb. 28; 12 U.S. lawmakers urged sanctions on Tavakoli, none passed.

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Iran Executes

Human rights groups say Iran’s recent death sentences rely on confessions obtained via torture and prolonged solitary confinement.
Iran has executed at least 47 political prisoners in 2026, up from 16 at the same point last year.
The three-hour trial of 59 unrepresented defendants coincided with President Donald Trump softening protester support.
Niki Nikbakht, based in Osnabrück, Germany, campaigns for brothers Hadi and Fazlollah, detained October 2025.

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Tavakoli Upholds Deaths

Judge Mohammad Reza Tavakoli, praised by Iranian authorities as a model judge, oversees many recent political death sentences.
Iran’s Supreme Court upheld Tavakoli’s death sentences for 12 men tied to the Jan. 8 Isfahan protests; executions remain pending.
The trial proceeded in three one-hour sessions with 59 defendants who had no lawyers.
Amnesty International logged 44 executions Feb. 28; 12 U.S. lawmakers urged sanctions on Tavakoli, none passed.

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