02/21/2026, 08:1702/21/2026, 08:18
At least 30 people in Iran are facing the death penalty in connection with recent mass protests, according to information from Amnesty International. The human rights organization reported that a verdict had already been pronounced in eight cases.
a woman in front of the Imamzadeh Saleh shrines in northern Tehran.Image: keystone
Among the 22 other cases heard in court, two men were still minors, Amnesty reported. The Iranian judiciary has not yet officially handed down a death sentence. However, a week ago, the Misan news agency, which is linked to the authorities, reported on a trial in which three men face the death penalty after taking part in riots.
Capital punishment as a weapon
Amnesty accuses the Iranian leadership of wanting to break the protest movement with the death sentences and their possible execution. “By using the death penalty as a weapon, they seek to incite fear and break the spirit of a population demanding fundamental change,” said Diana Eltahawy, deputy regional director for the Middle East.
The Iranian judiciary had already announced in mid-January that it had brought the first charges. Particularly serious cases of “rioters” would be given priority and treated separately. Iran’s justice chief had called for retribution for security forces and police officers killed during the protests.
More than 7,000 dead in mass protests
At the beginning of January, Iran’s security apparatus brutally suppressed the mass protests in the country. According to the activist network HRANA, more than 7,000 people were killed, including more than 200 state officials. There were also around 53,500 arrests.
The most recent demonstrations, initially triggered by the massive economic crisis, were the most serious in years. Even in the fall of 2022 and the months after, crowds of people took to the streets under the motto “Woman, Life, Freedom”. In connection with the uprisings, the judiciary then executed at least twelve people. (cst/sda/dpa)