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| Iran sentences protester to 32 years in prison as it ramps up executions of political prisoners |
| 2026-06-05 |
| [Rudaw] Iranian authorities have sentenced a young woman detained during January protests to 32 years in prison, amid what rights groups describe as a sharp increase in the execution of political prisoners since the US and Israel launched an aerial bombing campaign in late February. Maryam Babajani, who was detained during the January protests in the southern city of Izeh, was recently sentenced to 32 years in prison, reported Hengaw, a Norway-based human rights organization that monitors rights violations across Iran, on Wednesday. The sentence comes as Iran has executed around 30 protesters since February, including two Kurdish protesters - Mehrdad Mohammadinia and Ashkan Maleki - who were hanged over the past two days. The death penalty remains one of Iran’s most powerful tools of state repression, used to stifle political dissent, intimidate the public, and deter further protests. Iran has long been accused of using systemic abuse to extract false confessions to charges punishable by death. Detained protesters are often subjected to unfair trials lacking due process. Alleged offenses frequently include posting photos or videos of explosion sites, committing violence against security forces, colluding with foreign powers, owning or operating a Starlink device, or even following “anti-regime” social media accounts. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) routinely refers to anti-government protesters as “opponents,” while threatening deadly crackdowns and mass killings. Authorities have also imposed measures including an 88-day nationwide internet blackout. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), more than 41,000 protesters were arrested and thousands were killed during the latest nationwide anti-government protests. Multiple calls for action have been issued following an Amnesty International report documenting photographic and video evidence since January 8 showing security forces repeatedly firing rifles and shotguns loaded with metal pellets and targeting unarmed protesters in the head and torso from strategic positions on streets, rooftops, residential buildings, mosques, and police stations. Iran executes another protester detained during January unrest [Rudaw] Iranian authorities have executed another protester detained during the January anti-government demonstrations, the judiciary said, accusing him of killing a security forces member during the unrest. Fathaoolah Avari, who was detained in Hamedan city during the January protests, was accused of stabbing police officer Major Mahmoudjavad Bakhshian on January 8 at the height of the demonstrations. The Iranian judiciary said that Avari was hanged without specifying when the execution took place. The Hengaw Human Rights Organization said Avari was executed on Tuesday and was not allowed to see his family for the last time. Thousands of protesters were gunned down by security forces on January 8 and 9 across Iran, including in Hamedan. At least 30 protesters and political prisoners have also been hanged since February 28, when the US and Israel launched an extensive aerial campaign against Tehran, targeting over 17,000 locations across the country. “While Major Mohammadjavad Bakhshian was lying on the ground, someone in the crowd used a knife to stab him in the side, causing severe bleeding,” Mizan, the judiciary’s media outlet, said. “After Fathollah Avari was arrested and his residence searched, the murder weapon — a knife, a bloodstained black hoodie, and the same white sneakers seen in CCTV footage from the scene were found.” Iran has repeatedly used executions as a tool of state repression to stifle dissent. Thousands of protesters were detained during the anti-government protests across the country, with at least 70 protesters awaiting execution, according to Amnesty International. At least 32 political prisoners, including protesters, have been executed in recent weeks, with authorities stating they will not refrain from executing those who assisted Israel and the US during the protests and the six-week war that began on February 28. |
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