Amnesty Urgent Warning: 20 Iranian Protesters Facing Imminent Execution

Amnesty International has issued an urgent action warning regarding the status of 20 protesters detained in connection with the 2025 nationwide protests, stating that their death sentences, having been affirmed by the Supreme Court, could be executed at any moment

Iran Human Rights Society, Sunday, October 18, 2026– Amnesty International, by publishing an urgent action, has warned of the imminent danger of execution facing at least 20 protesters detained in connection with the 2025 nationwide protests. According to this report, the death sentences for these individuals have been affirmed by the Supreme Court since April 2026 onward, and they are currently at risk of execution across various prisons.

Amnesty International emphasized that the verdicts issued in these cases followed proceedings marred by serious violations of fair trial principles, and in a number of instances, confessions extracted under torture were utilized within the judicial process.

20 Protesters at Risk of Execution

The published list from Amnesty International includes the names of 20 men whose death sentences were affirmed following the 2025 nationwide protests. A portion of these individuals were tried in group cases, while others were tried in separate proceedings.

Eight of these individuals—Abolfazl Ebrahimi, Ali Dashti, Amir Hossein Ebrahimi Analooje, Amir Hossein Maleki, Javad Talebpour, Mehdi Eskandari, Sepehr Hoonjani, and Shervin Bagherian Jebelli—were sentenced to death in the case known as “Alihani Square in Isfahan.”

The charges raised against them relate to the events of January 8, 2026, encompassing allegations such as blocking streets, property destruction, setting fire to buildings, and playing a role in the deaths of four government agents.

Amnesty International declared that forced confessions from several of the defendants were broadcast on state media prior to their trials and subsequently used against them in judicial proceedings.

Four Protesters in the Pakdasht Case

Four other individuals, including Ahad Shokouhian, Ehsan Hosseinpour Hesarloo, Erfan Amiri, and Matin Mohammadi, were sentenced to death in connection with a arson attack on a Basij base inside a mosque in Pakdasht and the deaths of two Basij officers.

In this case, Amnesty International stressed that Erfan Amiri and Matin Mohammadi were under 18 years of age at the time of the alleged offenses. Imposing the death penalty on individuals who were children at the time of the crime constitutes an explicit prohibition under international law.

Eight other individuals—Ali Rahimi Rigi, Ali Asghar Peyghambari (known as Alireza), Benyamin NagHDI, Kaveh Arabian, Mehdi Zarif, Mehran Seyedzadeh, Omid Goudarzvand Chegini, and Rasoul Rezaei—were sentenced to death in separate cases under charges including “Moharebeh” (enmity against God), “Efsad-fil-Arz” (corruption on Earth), espionage, and cooperation with hostile states.

In the case of Ali Asghar Peyghambari, his lawyer stated that the sole action attributed to his client was presence at one of the protests. Nevertheless, the Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death.

Torture and Forced Confessions During Case Proceedings

One of the central highlights of Amnesty International’s warning is torture and ill-treatment during pre-trial detention and interrogation.

According to this report, instances of physical beatings, electrocution, prolonged solitary confinement, denial of access to legal counsel during the investigation phase, and various pressures to extract confessions from defendants have been documented.

In certain cases, defendants and their families shared information regarding torture and abuse during detention, but complaints regarding torture were not effectively investigated.

Amnesty International also emphasized that in several cases, confessions extracted in the absence of a lawyer served as the primary basis for proving charges and issuing capital sentences.

Denial of Counsel and Unfair Trials

Among other issues cited by Amnesty International are the denial of effective access to legal representation and restrictions placed on defendants and their lawyers in accessing case files.

Conducting closed-door trials in Revolutionary Courts, relying on coerced confessions, restricting access to case documentation, and failing to effectively address torture claims are identified by the organization as clear indicators of severe violations of the right to a fair trial.

In Amnesty International’s assessment, when a death sentence is issued and executed following such proceedings, the deprivation of life becomes arbitrary in nature.

At Least 34 Protesters Executed

Amnesty International stated in its urgent action that the judiciary has executed at least 34 individuals in cases related to these demonstrations since the start of the 2025 nationwide protests.

The organization characterized the completed executions as the outcome of grossly unfair trials, in some cases tainted by torture.

Among those executed, five individuals were executed between September 30 and October 5, 2026. Ali Hemmati Sistani, Majid Nikandish, Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi, Alireza Raeisi, and Alireza Sepahi were among the individuals whose capital sentences were carried out during this timeframe.

Amnesty International stressed that the execution of these sentences demonstrates the deployment of the death penalty in protest-related cases to instill fear and raise the cost of dissent and protest.

The Cases of Alireza Sepahi and Majid Nikandish

In Amnesty International’s report, the case of Alireza Sepahi received specific attention. According to the report, he faced physical beatings, electrocution, and prolonged solitary confinement during detention, and was denied access to legal counsel during the investigation stage.

The Supreme Court had ordered a retrial for his case at one point, but the Revolutionary Court refused to implement the order without holding a retrial session, and his death sentence was executed on October 5, 2026.

Majid Nikandish was also subjected to torture and held in solitary confinement for an extended period during detention, according to information provided to Amnesty International. It was reported that he was suspended by his hands and suffered severe physical injury during torture. Confessions obtained without the presence of a lawyer were likewise used against him.

Carrying Out Executions to Instill Fear

In its assessment, Amnesty International warned that the current trend of executing protesters is not limited to punishing individuals, but is pursued with the aim of increasing the cost of protest, creating public fear, and preventing the re-emergence of nationwide protests.

In this context, the organization pointed to remarks by Asadollah Jafari, Chief Justice of Isfahan Province, on October 11, 2026, who declared the execution of death sentences for individuals he referred to as “coup plotters” to be a priority.

According to Amnesty International’s evaluation, such statements, alongside demands for rapid processing and severe punishments, heighten concerns regarding the imminent execution of the 20 protesters’ sentences.

Number of Death Row Convicts May Be Higher

Amnesty International emphasized that the published list of 20 individuals includes only cases where the organization was able to collect sufficient information.

Given the wide scope of arrests, restrictions on prisoners’ communication with the outside world, the classified nature of many case files, and pressure on families, the true number of protesters sentenced to death is likely higher than this figure.

The organization previously warned that at least 60 protesters, including three who were children at the time of their alleged offenses, face the risk of execution.

Demand for Immediate Halt to Protester Executions

Amnesty International called on state judicial authorities to halt the execution of all protest-related death sentences and to quash the capital verdicts against protesters.

The organization also demanded independent investigations into torture and ill-treatment allegations, the exclusion of torture-tainted confessions from judicial records, guarantees for defendants’ access to chosen legal representation, and the holding of fair trials.

Furthermore, Amnesty International stressed the necessity of granting access to UN Special Rapporteurs and the Fact-Finding Mission to inspect prisons and independently investigate the condition of detainees.

The warning regarding the 20 protesters sentenced to death comes as at least 34 individuals have been executed in protest-related cases since the onset of the 2025 nationwide protests. The continuation of this trend, amid reports of torture, forced confessions, and denial of legal counsel in case files, intensifies concerns over the risk of new executions and the use of the death penalty as a tool of social intimidation.

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