Iran Executes Two Men for Murdering Police During Protests

Iranian authorities executed two men on Tuesday, who were convicted of murdering police officers during anti-government protests in January. The executions in Isfahan raise the number of individuals hanged in connection with the protests to at least 26, according to the Fars news agency.

The two men, identified as Abolfazl Sepahi and Amirhossein Safari, were accused of attacking officers, dousing them with gasoline, and setting them on fire during the January unrest. Official accounts state they were also carrying bladed weapons. Authorities convicted them of conspiracy against national security, disturbing public order, and destruction of public and private property.

These executions add to a grim tally of those killed during the protests. The Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO, based in Norway, reports that at least 3,117 people died during the crackdown on demonstrations that called for the end of the Islamic Republic. Other human rights organizations, such as HRANA in the United States, place the death toll higher, exceeding 7,000.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, recently stated that at least 40 people have been executed in Iran since January on "national security" charges. Iran consistently ranks among the countries with the highest number of executions worldwide. Amnesty International reported that in 2025, Iran carried out 2,159 executions, more than double the previous year's figure and the highest in decades.