Full Breakdown
Iran’s Public Hangings in Isfahan: A Surge in State Executions Amid Ongoing Protest
7/31/2026, 9:27:16 PM
Core Event
On July 28, 2026, Iranian authorities publicly hanged two men—Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani (24) and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi (27)—in Shahid Alikhani Square, Isfahan. State television broadcast confessions, and security forces used tear gas, Tasers and warning shots to disperse the crowd at the makeshift gallows.
Background & Context
The executions are linked to the January 8, 2026 anti-government demonstrations in the same square, which led to the deaths of four officers. Revolutionary Courts later sentenced twelve men to death; two were executed on July 19, 2026, and the July 28 hangings brought the total in the “Alikhani Square” case to four. Public executions, rare since 2022, are being revived as a tool of intimidation amid a broader wave of capital punishment that intensified after the war with the United States and Israel began on February 28, 2026.
Official Statements & Responses
The judiciary announced that Sepahi and Safari were sentenced for “waging war on God” and “corruption on Earth.” The European Union announced sanctions on five Iranian judges involved in issuing death sentences, including Mostafa Narimani and Mohammad Reza Amouzad.
Criticism & Opposition
Human-rights groups and cultural figures have denounced the hangings as state terror. Writer Hossein Sanapour called the proceedings “opaque” and urged “Do not execute.” Actor-writer Hassan Nayeb Hashem noted that public executions have been abolished in almost every other country that retains the death penalty. President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran Maryam Rajavi described the executions as a “medieval public crime” aimed at preventing an “explosion of popular anger.” Bahar Ghandehari, director of advocacy at the Centre for Human Rights in Iran, emphasized that the protests show the authorities’ willingness to kill people for protesting.
On-the-Ground Reports
Witnesses described a crowd gathering at dawn, chanting anti-police slogans. Anti-riot police intervened with Tasers, tear gas and warning shots, chasing protesters through alleys. Amateur videos show people booing the execution platform and holding signs reading “No to Executions.” In Ghezel Hesar, inmates have sewn their lips shut, displayed placards reading “No More Executions,” and reported that guards refuse medical access. The hunger strike began after six men slated for execution were moved to solitary confinement on July 13, 2026.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Execution counts vary: Amnesty cites 2,159 executions in 2025, while IHRNGO reports 424 in 2026; UN experts mention 24 protest-related executions this year, whereas rights groups claim 26.
- The exact legal basis for the death sentences is unclear; Revolutionary Court hearings are closed and the roles of individual defendants are not publicly disclosed.
- The status of the remaining eight Alikhani Square defendants is unknown, and families have not been informed of their whereabouts or possible execution dates.
What’s Next
The UN fact-finding mission continues to urge a halt to all pending death sentences in the Alikhani Square case. The judiciary has pledged, after negotiations with hunger-striking prisoners, to suspend executions in drug-related cases in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar and to review death-row cases within six months. EU sanctions on the five judges remain in force, and the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign marks its 131st week, indicating sustained pressure from prisoners and civil-society groups. International bodies are expected to monitor compliance with moratorium calls and assess whether the promised case reviews lead to commutations.
