HRANA – Abolfazl Sepahi and Amirhossein Safari, two individuals arrested during the nationwide protests of January 2026, were publicly executed today, July 28, 2026, in Alikhani Square in Isfahan. They had been sentenced to death in the case known as the “Isfahan Alikhani Square” case. Erfan Esfandiari and Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi, two other defendants in the same case, were executed several days earlier.
According to HRANA, the death sentences of Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi, both arrested during the January 2026 protests in Isfahan, were carried out.
Based on information received by HRANA, the executions were carried out at dawn today, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Alikhani Square in Isfahan. A knowledgeable source confirmed the news to HRANA, stating:
“The bodies of those executed have not yet been returned to their families. Meanwhile, the families of the other defendants in this case are gathered outside Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, expressing concern that the death sentences against their children and relatives may also be carried out.”
The Judiciary’s Media Center has claimed that during the protests on January 8, 2026, in Alikhani Square, Isfahan, four law enforcement officers were killed. It further alleged that a number of protesters attacked security forces using firearms, bladed weapons, and incendiary materials, while also damaging public property. The judiciary additionally claimed that, following the attack on law enforcement personnel, the defendants committed violent acts, including setting fire to the bodies of those who had been killed.
According to the Judiciary’s Media Center, Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi were sentenced to death on charges including “membership in rebel groups acting against national security, moharebeh (enmity against God), spreading corruption on earth, destruction and arson of public property,” along with other related charges. The judiciary further claimed that after the verdicts were issued, the case was reviewed by the Supreme Court, which upheld the sentences, and that the executions were carried out following the completion of legal procedures.
However, HRANA has not been able to independently verify the claims made by the Judiciary’s Media Center.
According to information received by HRANA, the judicial proceedings in this case were marked by significant restrictions, including the defense lawyer’s lack of effective access to the case file, court hearings conducted via videoconference, families being denied information about the contents of the verdicts, and the court’s failure to consider defense evidence. Given the well-documented record of the Islamic Republic’s security and judicial institutions in relying on forced confessions, torture, and other forms of ill-treatment in security-related cases, serious concerns remain regarding compliance with fair trial standards and the defendants’ rights.
HRANA had previously reported that the proceedings against Alireza Sepahi and Abolfazl Sepahi were also marred by procedural shortcomings, including ineffective access to the case file by defense counsel, the inability to obtain a copy of the court’s ruling, hearings conducted via videoconference, and the court’s disregard for defense evidence. According to a source close to the family, they also remain uninformed about the details of the charges, the evidence relied upon by the court, and the full contents of the verdicts.
Erfan Esfandiari and Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi, two other individuals sentenced to death in the so-called “Isfahan Alikhani Square” case, were executed in Isfahan on July 19, 2026.
In the initial trial, 15 defendants were sentenced to death. According to information provided by the defense lawyer, the death sentence of one defendant was overturned by the higher judicial authority, while the death sentences of the remaining 14 defendants were upheld.
The identities of 12 of those sentenced to death have been identified as:
Alireza Sepahi, Abolfazl Sepahi, Erfan Esfandiari, Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi, Amirhossein Safari, Ghaem Hosseini, Shervin Bagherian, Amirhossein Maleki, Ali Dashti, Abolfazl Ebrahimi, Alireza Raisi, and Amirhossein Ebrahimi Analoucheh.
