Three protest detainees in Tehran face imminent execution after case sent for enforcement
Hengaw – Sunday, April 26, 2026
Three people arrested during Iran’s December protests, Ehsan Hosseinipour Hesarloo, Matin Mohammadi and Erfan Amiri, have been sentenced to death by Iranian authorities, and their sentences have been upheld by the Supreme Court.
According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the case has recently been referred to the sentence enforcement branch, significantly increasing the risk that the three young men could be executed imminently.
The three defendants were sentenced to death by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, in connection with a fire at the Seyed al-Shohada mosque in Pakdasht. Ehsan Hosseinipour Hesarloo is 19 years old.
Iranian judicial authorities have accused the three protesters of “participation in the killing of two Basij forces,” “intentional arson of a religious site,” “destruction of public property,” and “assembly and collusion against national security.”
Asubstantial portion of the case file was based on forced confessions obtained under torture during detention, as well as reports prepared by security agencies.
The defendants were denied access to independent legal counsel and the right to a fair trial throughout all stages of proceedings.
The three were arrested during protests in Pakdasht on Jan. 8, 2026.
During the fire at the mosque, two members of the Basij militia were killed. Security agencies blamed the detained protesters without presenting transparent evidence.
Hengaw considers the issuance and confirmation of death sentences for these individuals to be a clear example of extrajudicial killing and the instrumental use of capital punishment to spread fear throughout society.
Given the ongoing daily wave of political executions, Hengaw warns of the immediate danger facing these three prisoners and calls on the international community and human rights organizations to take urgent and effective action to prevent this impending crime.
