Iran Executes Two Kurdish Protesters as Rights Groups Report Rising Political Executions
Peregraf- Iranian authorities have executed two Kurdish protesters detained during anti-government demonstrations that erupted late last year, according to state media and human rights organizations, amid growing criticism over Tehran's escalating use of the death penalty against protesters, dissidents, and ethnic minorities.
The two men, identified as Mehrdad Mohammadinia and Ashkan Maleki, were accused by Iranian authorities of participating in unrest and attacks on public property during the January 2026 protests.
According to Iran's judiciary, the two were charged with setting fire to a mosque in Tehran's Gisha neighborhood — also known as Kuy-e Nasr — damaging public property, clashing with security forces, and blocking roads. Iran's judiciary-affiliated Mizan News Agency reported that the Jafari Mosque in Gisha was the specific site of the alleged arson. Their death sentences were upheld by Iran's Supreme Court before being carried out.
State media reported that both men had confessed to the charges. Rights groups have repeatedly warned that Iran's authorities use forced confessions and fast-tracked trials in politically charged cases.
Rights Groups Condemn Executions
The Oslo-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights identified Mohammadinia and Maleki as Kurdish residents of Qorveh County in Iran's Kurdistan Province.
Hengaw also warned that another Kurdish detainee, Arman Marefati, a 30-year-old from Saqqez, faces the risk of execution after being sentenced to death on charges of "enmity against God" (moharebeh) in connection with the January 2026 protests.
Human rights organizations have accused Iran of using the death penalty to suppress dissent following the nationwide protests and subsequent security crackdown.
According to rights monitors, at least 36 protesters and political prisoners have been executed since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran in what rights groups have described as a war on Iran.
Additional Executions Reported
The latest executions follow reports from last week that Iranian authorities executed two Kurdish citizens from Naqadeh in West Azerbaijan Province and two Iraqi nationals on espionage charges.
Iran's IRGC-controlled Tasnim News Agency identified the Kurdish men as Ramin Zaleh and Karim Maroufpour, alleging they were members of armed groups involved in activities against the state. According to Iran's judiciary, the two were charged with "armed rebellion" (baghi) through alleged membership in the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), which Tehran designates a banned organization, as well as charges related to an assassination attempt. Hengaw and other rights organizations said the men were denied access to lawyers of their choosing and that confessions were extracted under torture.
Separately, Hengaw reported that two Iraqi nationals, Ali Nader al-Obaidi and Fadel Sheikh Karim, were secretly executed at dawn on April 6 at Karaj Central Prison after being convicted on espionage charges. Both men, aged 27 and 29 respectively, were from the Iraqi city of Amarah. The organization said neither their families nor official media were notified in advance, and criticized the executions, arguing that the charges were vague and that the defendants were denied fair trials.
Growing Concern Over Execution Surge
Human rights groups including Hengaw, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), and Iran Human Rights (IHR) say political executions have increased significantly during and after the US-Israel War on Iran.
According to those organizations, at least 36 political executions were documented between late February and late May 2026.
Amnesty Reports Record Execution Numbers
Amnesty International reported on May 18 that Iran carried out at least 2,159 executions in 2025 — the highest number recorded in the country since 1981, and more than double the figure recorded in 2024.
The rights group said Iran accounted for the overwhelming majority of the 2,707 executions documented worldwide across 17 countries during the year.
Human rights organizations have long accused Tehran of using executions as a tool of political repression, particularly against ethnic minorities, political dissidents, and marginalized communities.