Iran publicly executes two Isfahan protesters despite UN calls to stop

Iranian authorities have executed two protesters in public in Isfahan’s Shahid Alikhani Square, where heavy security forces were deployed overnight amid reports of clashes between guards and civilians who gathered near the site. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT According to Iran’s judiciary-linked Mizan news agency and state-affiliated Fars news agency, the two men — Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi and Abolfazl Sepahi Badjiani — were executed early morning on Tuesday in the Malekshahr district of Isfahan. The two were among 12 young men sentenced to death in a case linked to protests that erupted in the same square on 8 January. Iranian authorities accused the defendants of involvement in the killing of four members of the Basij militia and special units during clashes in the area, as well as arson and vandalism. Fars reported that the defendants were accused of killing security personnel during the protests, alleging that officers were attacked, set on fire and killed during the unrest. The executions came after hours of growing concern on social media over reports that an iron scaffold had been installed in Alikhani Square. Videos shared online showed the structure being prepared and security forces surrounding the area. The reports could not be independently verified. Witnesses and social media users said the square remained under heavy security throughout Monday night, with some reporting brief confrontations between security forces and people who gathered on site. A source close to Safari’s family said relatives had been summoned to Isfahan Central Prison for what they believed could be a final visit before his execution. The two executions follow the deaths of two other defendants in the same case. Golmohammad Mohammadi and Erfan Esfandiari were executed by Iranian authorities on 19 July, bringing the total number of executions linked to the Alikhani Square case to four. Eight other defendants remain under death sentences. UN calls for executions to be stopped The executions came despite calls from United Nations human rights experts for Iran to halt the planned death sentences. Earlier on Monday, experts led by Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, urged Tehran to stop the executions of the remaining defendants, saying the legal proceedings raised serious concerns over fair trial standards. “Sentencing 12 people to death in one hearing, in a closed courtroom and without clarity as to each defendant’s individual responsibility violates established fair trial standards,” the experts said. The UN said the defendants, many of whom were in their late teens or early twenties at the time of their arrests, had reportedly faced arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and, in some cases, ill-treatment. According to the UN experts, the convictions relied heavily on confessions broadcast on state television, while hearings before Iran’s Revolutionary Courts were held behind closed doors and verdicts were not publicly released. Among those still facing execution is Shervin Bagherian Jebeli, who turned 18 shortly before his arrest. UN experts said Iranian state television broadcast his confession within a week of his detention and before any trial had taken place. The UN human rights office said at least 24 people have been executed in connection with the January protests so far this year. Tehran has said that 3,117 people were killed during the protests that started in the Iranian capital in December over sudden hyperinflation, but then quickly turned into nationwide anti-government demonstrations. Rights groups have reported significantly higher numbers reaching as many as 42,000, while UN officials have said the full scale of civilian casualties remains difficult to verify due to restrictions on access to information and internet disruptions.