Iran: three men executed in connection with January protests

Iranian justice announced on Sunday the execution of three men convicted of having acted on behalf of Israel and the United States during the vast anti-government demonstrations in January, following a trial denounced as unfair by a human rights NGO. According to the organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Norway, these dawn hangings in the town of Karaj, near Tehran, bring to at least 39 the number of men executed in connection with the winter demonstrations, bloodily repressed in January.

“Like others before them, Hassan Divband, Hamid Kazemi and Reza Zanganeh were deprived of their right to due process and a fair trial,” denounced IHR director Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam. “Hundreds more, including protesters and those arrested during the war, face being sentenced to death or having their death sentences carried out,” he added.

The three death sentences “were carried out this morning after being confirmed by the Supreme Court,” said Mizan, the press organ of the judiciary. According to the agency, the three men were found guilty of participating in “operational activities on behalf of the Israeli Zionist regime, the United States and hostile groups” during the protests initially triggered in late December 2025 by the rising cost of living.

The judiciary accuses them of having then manufactured and used grenades and Molotov cocktails, transported and used bladed weapons and firearms, and set fire to public infrastructure in Karaj, west of Tehran. This satellite town of the capital was the scene of violent protests between December and January, with images published on social media showing residents chanting slogans against the authorities in the streets.

According to the NGO Hengaw, also based in Norway, the allegation that Reza Zanganeh, 27, a mechanic specializing in foreign cars, collaborated with Israel “was based solely on his professional activities and previous work-related travel.” The NGO denounced “strong pressure” from the authorities on her family “to keep silent”. Others implicated in this case were sentenced to terms ranging from five to 10 years, Mizan said.

The protest movement that began in December 2025 quickly transformed into large anti-government demonstrations, which peaked on January 8 and 9. Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths during the mobilization, attributing the violence to “terrorist acts” orchestrated by the United States and Israel. The toll is much heavier, according to NGOs based abroad, who accuse the security forces of having deliberately fired on the demonstrators.

Since then, arrests and executions have increased in the country, linked both to the demonstrations at the beginning of the year and the conflict with the United States, triggered in February by Israeli-American strikes against Tehran. According to Amnesty International, Iran is the second country in the world that executes the most people, after China.