Iran Executes Protesters as Prisoners Launch Mass Hunger Strike

The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran executed Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi via public hanging in Malekshahr on July 28, 2026. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated the men were convicted of waging war against God and corruption on earth following attacks on security personnel at Alikhani Square during January 2026 protests. These executions followed the deaths of two other men on July 19, leaving 10 other young men facing imminent execution after a single closed hearing by the Revolutionary Court.

United Nations human rights experts condemned the proceedings, citing secret trials and televised confessions allegedly extracted through coercion and torture. Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur, stated that sentencing 12 people in one closed hearing without clarity on individual responsibility violates fair trial standards. Iranian authorities maintain the unrest was fueled by terrorist acts backed by the United States and Israel.

Simultaneously, at least 1,500 death row prisoners at Ghezel Hesar prison near Tehran launched a mass hunger strike, with some inmates sewing their lips shut. The protest began two weeks ago after six men convicted of drug offenses were moved to solitary confinement. Prisoners are demanding an end to the surge in executions for drug-related and political crimes. Iran Human Rights reports at least 424 executions in 2026, while UN experts noted at least 24 deaths specifically linked to the January uprising.