# Death sentences during the Mahsa Amini protests

Death sentences during the Mahsa Amini protests is a list of Iranian citizens sentenced to death or charged with crimes punishable by death in the Islamic Republic of Iran during the Mahsa Amini protests. Following rushed trials that were widely criticized by human rights organizations, the Islamic Republic has executed eight protestors, Mohsen Shekari, Majidreza Rahnavard, Mohammad Mehdi Karami, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi, Saeed Yaghoobi and Mohammad Ghobadloo. Dozens of protesters have been charged with offenses that are punishable by death in Iran.
The list does not include demonstrators who have been killed by police during the protests, and it does not include people who received death sentences for convictions unrelated to the protests.

## Overview

Thousands of protesters have been detained as a result of the Mahsa Amini protests, and dozens have been charged with offenses such as Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") or Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth"), which are punishable by death under the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Analysts have warned that the Islamic Republic is "determined to carry out mass executions," and "keeps the execution cases as vague as possible to 'confuse' domestic and international reactions until the last minute," said Hossein Bastani, a prominent political analyst for BBC Persian. He continued that "worldwide, practical reactions might still prevent a human disaster."
Many of the trials have taken place in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Court system. The system has received international criticism for holding trials behind closed doors and often not allowing defendants to review the evidence used against them. In Tehran, most trials have been presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati, who faces U.S. sanctions for meting out harsh punishments. A statement by the United States Department of the Treasury criticized Salvati for handing down more than 100 death sentences and lengthy prison sentences to political prisoners, human rights activists, media workers, and "others seeking to exercise freedom of assembly."

## Executions

On 8 December 2022, Iran executed Mohsen Shekari for Moharebeh related to allegations that he blocked a road and stabbed a Basij militiaman during a protest of Amini's death. Shekari's execution was the first to be carried out as a direct result of the protests. Four days later, on 12 December, Iran publicly executed Majidreza Rahnavard by hanging him from a crane after he was convicted of Moharebeh following allegations that he murdered two Basij militiamen. Rahnavard's execution was the first public execution related to the Mahsa Amini protests. Both Shekari and Rahnavard were allegedly subjected to torture to extract coerced and false confessions.
After nearly a month, on 7 January 2023, Iran carried out the executions of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, who, like Shekari and Rahnavard, were accused of crimes involving alleged attacks on Basij militiamen; they were convicted of Mofsed-e-filarz. Both were also allegedly subjected to torture, and Karami was allegedly subjected to sexual violence at the hands of his jailers; both asserted their innocence of the charges that led to their executions. Human rights organizations accused Iranian authorities of using "shoddy evidence" to convict both men.
After a hiatus lasting over four months, Iran carried out the executions of three men – Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi, and Saeed Yaghoobi – on 19 May 2023. Like Shekari and Rahnavard, the three men were convicted of Moharebeh despite allegations that Iranian authorities subjected them to torture to extract forced confessions. One of Kazemi's family members accused Iranian agents of visiting the family two days after Kazemi's execution, assaulting his brothers and parents, and arresting three of his siblings.
Human rights groups have criticized Iran for their elevated rate of executions in the face of the protests, even for crimes unrelated to the protests, like drug offenses. Human rights groups have accused Iranian officials of using capital punishment as a tool to intimidate the public and quell dissent.

## Responses

Iranian citizens, human rights groups, and the international community have put immense pressure on the Islamic Republic government to discontinue political executions. Human rights organizations have condemned the use of "sham trials designed to intimidate protestors" and the "chilling use of the death penalty in rush trials." United Nations human rights experts have "raised alarm over detained protesters" and condemned death sentences "following unfair trials" resulting in "arbitrary deprivation of life." According to Amnesty International, "several defendants were tortured, and their torture-tainted 'confessions' were used as evidence. State media broadcast forced 'confessions' of at least nine defendants prior to trial."
Numerous members of parliament in European countries, including those in Germany, Sweden, France, and Netherlands have taken on the political sponsorship of protesters who are currently facing the death penalty.
Following pressure from both inside and outside the country, on December 16, 2022, the Islamic Republic let 17-year-old Sonia Sharifi out on bail. She had been reportedly charged with Moharebeh ("waging war against God"), but just before her release, the prosecutor stated that she has not yet been formally charged.
The death sentences against co-accused Hamid Ghare-Hasanlou, Hossein Mohammadi, and Reza Aria were overturned on January 3, 2023, "due to the existence of defects in the proceedings," and retrial was ordered by the Supreme Court of Iran.
The U.S. envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, tweeted that Iran's executions of protesters are "an affront to the human rights and basic dignity of all Iranians." The European Union has demanded that Iran abolish the death penalty.

## List of people currently facing the death penalty

The following list contains information on many of those currently facing death sentences in Iran directly for their involvement in the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests, triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini.
| Name | Age | Details of the arrest | Charge | Description by the prosecutor | Judge | Trial | Sentence | Appeal | Further information |
| Mohsen Shekari (Persian: محسن شکاری) | 22 | Tehran protests | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Blocked a street in Tehran | Abolqasem Salavati | November 1, 2022 | Death | Failed | Executed by hanging on December 8, 2022 |
| Majidreza Rahnavard (Persian: مجیدرضا رهنورد) | 23 | Mashhad | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Allegedly killed two Basij militia forces | Hadi Mansouri | November 29, 2022 | Death | Unknown | Executed by public hanging on December 12, 2022 |
| Mohammad Mehdi Karami (Persian: محمد مهدی کرمی) | 21 | Hadis Najafi's 40th day memorial | Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | Allegedly involved in attacking a Basij militia by the name of Ajamian | Moosa Asefolhosseini | November 30, 2022 | Death | Failed | Executed by hanging on January 7, 2023 |
| Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini (Persian: سیدمحمد حسینی) | 39 | Hadis Najafi's 40th day memorial | Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | Allegedly involved in attacking a Basij militia by the name of Ajamian | Moosa Asefolhosseini | November 30, 2022 | Death | Failed | Executed by hanging on January 7, 2023 |
| Saleh Mirhashemi (Persian: صالح میرهاشمی) | 37 | Isfahan | Baghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government") | Allegedly involved in attacking Basij militia | Morteza Barati | | Death | Unknown | Executed by hanging on May 19, 2023 |
| Majid Kazemi (Persian: مجید کاظمی) | | Isfahan | Baghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government") | Allegedly involved in attacking Basij militia | Morteza Barati | | Death | Unknown | Executed by hanging on May 19, 2023 |
| Saeed Yaghoobi (Persian: سعید یعقوبی) | | Isfahan | Baghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government") | Allegedly involved in attacking Basij militia | Morteza Barati | | Death | Unknown | Executed by hanging on May 19, 2023 |
| Mohammad Ghobadloo (Persian: محمد قبادلو) | 22 | Tehran protests | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God"), Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | Allegedly involved in the death of a security force | Abolqasem Salavati | October 29, 2022 | Death | Failed (December 24, 2022) | Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer. Trial was held in secret; his defense attorney was barred from attending Clara Bünger, a member of the German parliament, sponsored him on December 12, 2022; and Caroline Lucas, a member of the British parliament, sponsored him in January 2023 Executed on January 23, 2024 |
| Mohammad Boroughani (Persian: محمد بروغنی) | 18 | Tehran protests | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Setting fire to the office of the governor of Pakdasht | Abolqasem Salavati | October 29, 2022 | Death | Failed but execution is temporarily suspended | Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer, Martin Diedenhofen, a member of the German parliament, sponsored him on December 9, 2022 |
| Shoaib Mirblouchezhi Rigi (Persian: شعیب میربلوچزهی ریگی) | 18 | Zahedan | Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | | | December 19, 2022 | Death | | Prohibited from selecting his own lawyer, Confessions extracted through torture |
| Manouchehr Mehman Navaz (Persian: منوچهر مهمان‌نواز) | 45 | Tehran protests | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Disturbing public order and participating in illegal demonstrations | Mohammadreza Amoozad | October 30, 2022 | Death | Unknown | Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer |
| Kambiz Khorvat (Persian: کامبیز خروت) | 20 | Zahedan | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God"), Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | | | | Death | | Prohibited from selecting his own lawyer |
| Mehdi Bahman (Persian: مهدی بهمن) | | Tehran | | | | | Death | | |
| Mehdi Mohammadi Fard (Persian: مهدی محمدی‌فرد) | 19 | Sari | | | | | Death (twice) | | |
| Arshia Takdastan (Persian: عرشیا تک‌دستان) | 18 | Nowshahr | | | | | Death | | |
| Javad Roohi (Persian: جواد روحی) | 35 | Nowshahr | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God"), Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth"), Apostasy | | | | Death | | |
| Mansoor Dehmardeh (Persian: منصور دهمرده) | 22 | Zahedan | Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | | | | Death | | |
| Ebrahim Naroyi (Persian: ابراهیم نارویی) | 25 | Zahedan | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | | | | Death | | |
| Mahan Sadrat Marani (Persian: ماهان صدرات مرنی) | 24 | Tehran protests | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Blocked the street and set fire; destroyed the plaintiff's phone and injured him with a knife | Iman Afshari | November 3, 2022 | Death | Accepted | Prohibited from selecting his own lawyer The plaintiff withdrew his lawsuit and the execution has been temporarily suspended |
| Mohsen Rezazadeh Gharaghloo (Persian: محسن رضازاده قراقلو) | | Tehran protests | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Participated in creating a fire, colluded for crimes against the national security | Abolqasem Salavati | October 29, 2022 | | | Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer |
| Saeed Shirazi (Persian: سعید شیرازی) | | Tehran protests | Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | Incitement to crimes against the security, disturbing public order | Abolqasem Salavati | October 29, 2022 | | | Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer |
| Saman Seydi (Persian: سامان صیدی) also known as Saman Yasin | 24 | Tehran protests | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Shooting three times with a handgun | Abolqasem Salavati | October 29, 2022 | Death | Accepted | Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer The state-appointed public defender did not have access to the evidence presented by the prosecutor Carlos Kasper, a member of the German parliament, sponsored him on December 9, 2022 |
| Abolfazl Mehri Hossein Hajilou (Persian: ابوالفضل مهری حسین حاجیلو) | | Tehran protests | Confronting the Islamic government | Set fire | Abolqasem Salavati | October 29, 2022 | | | Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer |
| Sahand Nourmohammad-Zadeh (Persian: سهند نورمحمدزاده) | 26 | Tehran protests | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Blocked a highway in Tehran and set a trash bin on fire | | November 7, 2022 | Death | Accepted | Colum Eastwood, a member of the British parliament, sponsored him in January 2023 |
| Akbar Ghaffari (Persian: اکبر غفاری) | | Tehran protests | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | | | | | | |
| Hamid Ghare Hasanlou (Persian: حمید قره‌حسنلو) | 53 | Hadis Najafi's 40th day memorial | Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | Involved in attacking a Basij militia by the name of Ajamian | Moosa Asefolhosseini | November 30, 2022 | Death in the lower court, but overturned by the supreme court | | Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer |
| Hossein Mohammadi (Persian: حسین محمدی) | 26 | Hadis Najafi's 40th day memorial | Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | Involved in attacking a Basij militia by the name of Ajamian | Moosa Asefolhosseini | November 30, 2022 | Death in the lower court, but overturned by the supreme court | | Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer |
| Reza Aria (Persian: رضا آریا) | 43 | Hadis Najafi's 40th day memorial | Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | Involved in attacking a Basij militia by the name of Ajamian | Moosa Asefolhosseini | November 30, 2022 | Death in the lower court, but overturned by the supreme court | | Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer |
| Milad Armoon (Persian: میلاد آرمون) | | Tehran, Ekbatan | Assault resulting in murder | Involved in attacking a Basij militia by the name of Arman Alivardi | | | | | He denied attacking the militiaman on the Iran's state TV, Jytte Guteland, a member of Sweden parliament, sponsored him on December 14, 2022 |
| Behzad Hesari (Persian: بهزاد حصاری) | | Tehran, Ekbatan | Assault resulting in murder | Involved in attacking a Basij militia by the name of Arman Alivardi | | | | | |
| Nastooh Nikkhah (Persian: نستوه نیکخواه) | | Tehran, Ekbatan | Assault resulting in murder | Involved in attacking a Basij militia by the name of Arman Alivardi | | | | | |
| Mehdi Jahani (Persian: مهدی جهانی) | | Tehran, Ekbatan | Assault resulting in murder | Involved in attacking a Basij militia by the name of Arman Alivardi | | | | | |
| Mohammad Pasandian (Persian: محمد پسندیان) | | Tehran, Ekbatan | Assault resulting in murder | Involved in attacking a Basij militia by the name of Arman Alivardi | | | | | |
| Amir Reza Nasr Azadani (Persian: امیررضا نصرآزادانی) | 26 | Isfahan | Baghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government"), Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Involved in attacking two Basij militia and a police officer | | | | | Andrew Western, a member of the British parliament, sponsored him in January 2023 |
| Abolfazl Badi-elah (Persian: ابوالفضل بادی‌اله) | | Isfahan | Baghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government") | Involved in attacking two Basij militia and a police officer | | | | | |
| Soheil Jahangiri (Persian: سهیل جهانگیری) | | Isfahan | Baghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government") | Involved in attacking two Basij militia and a police officer | | | | | |
| Hossein Kazemi (Persian: حسین کاظمی) | | Isfahan | Baghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government") | Involved in attacking two Basij militia and a police officer | | | | | |
| Mehdi Mashayekhi (Persian: مهدی مشایخی) | | Isfahan | Baghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government") | Involved in attacking two Basij militia and a police officer | | | | | |
| Faramarz Salehi (Persian: فرامرز صالحی) | | Isfahan | Baghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government") | Involved in attacking two Basij militia and a police officer | | | | | |
| Jaber Mirhashemi (Persian: جابر میرهاشمی) | | Isfahan | Baghy ("Rebellion against the Islamic government") | Involved in attacking two Basij militia and a police officer | | | | | |
| Parham Parvari (Persian: پرهام پروری) | 25 | Tehran protests | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | | | | | | |
| Ebrahim Rigi (Persian: ابراهیم ریگی) | 24 | Zahedan | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | | | | | | Richard Thomson, a member of the British parliament, sponsored him in January 2023 |
| Abdoldoostar Zolfaghari (Persian: عبدالدوستار ذوالفقاری) | | Zahedan | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | | | | | | More information is needed |
| Mahsa Mohammadi (Persian: مهسا محمدی) | | | Sabbe Nabi (Insulting Prophet Muhammad) | She is charged based on only a tweet | | | | | |
| Makan Davari (Persian: ماکان داوری) | | Langarud | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | | | | | | More information is needed |
| Dena Sheybani (Persian: دنا شیبانی) | 34 | Shiraz | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Attempted to detonate a bomb in Shiraz | | | | | Confessions extracted through torture Rachel Hopkins, a member of the British parliament, sponsored her in January 2023 |
| Eshraq Najadabadi (Persian: اشراق نجف‌آبادی) | | Shiraz | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Attempted to detonate a bomb in Shiraz | | | | | Confessions extracted through torture |
| Mohammad Khiveh (Persian: محمد خیوه) | | Shiraz | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Attempted to detonate a bomb in Shiraz | | | | | Confessions extracted through torture |
| Hesam Mousavi (Persian: حسام موسوی) | | Shiraz | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Attempted to detonate a bomb in Shiraz | | | | | Confessions extracted through torture |
| Amir Arsalan Mahdavi (Persian: امیرارسلان مهدوی) | | Shiraz | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | Attempted to detonate a bomb in Shiraz | | | | | Confessions extracted through torture |
| Karvan Shahi Parvaneh (Persian: کاروان شاهی‌پروانه) | | Oshnavieh | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | | | | Death (in absentia) | | |
| Reza Eslamdoost (Persian: رضا اسلام‌دوست) | | Oshnavieh | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | | | | Death | | More information is needed |
| Hazhar Ahmadi (Persian: هژار احمدی) | | Oshnavieh | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | | | | Death | | More information is needed |
| Shahram Maroof Mola (Persian: شهرام معروف مولا) | | Oshnavieh | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God") | | | | Death | | More information is needed |
| Ayoob Aghliani (Persian: ایوب آغلیانی) | | Oshnavieh | | | | | | | More information is needed |
| Mansoor Hout (Persian: منصور حوت) | | Zahedan | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God"), Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | | | | | | Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer |
| Nezam Hout (Persian: نظام حوت) | | Zahedan | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God"), Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | | | | | | Prohibited from selecting their own lawyer |
| Toomaj Salehi (Persian: توماج صالحی) | | Isfahan | Moharebeh ("Waging War Against God"), Mofsed-e-filarz ("Corruption on Earth") | Propagandizing activities against the state, forming illegal groups, cooperating with the hostile governments | | | Death | | Ye-One Rhie, a member of the German parliament, sponsored him on December 9, 2022 |