Afghan national Ghaem Hosseini executed as fifth defendant in Alikhani Square case

Hengaw – Thursday, August 20, 2026

Iranian authorities executed Ghaem Hosseini, also known as Arian, a 20-year-old Afghan national arrested in connection with the January protests, at Isfahan Central Prison. Hosseini was a defendant in the “Isfahan Alikhani Square” case and is the fifth defendant in the case to be executed.

According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, authorities carried out Hosseini’s execution at dawn on Thursday, August 20, 2026. He was the maternal cousin of Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, another Afghan national and defendant in the same case who was previously executed.

Mizan News Agency, the official news outlet of Iran’s judiciary, reported that Hosseini had been sentenced to death on charges including “waging war against God,” “corruption on earth,” “acting against national security,” and “destruction of public property.”

Hosseini was accused of participating in the events at Alikhani Square in Isfahan on January 8, 2026, during which four members of the Special Unit were killed. He was also accused of damaging the body of one of the officers and taking part in setting fire to a charity center.

Hosseini is the fifth defendant in the case to be executed. Four other defendants, including his maternal cousin Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, were previously executed together.