The Iranian government is preparing to carry out the execution of four protesters, including a woman believed to be the first female detainee to be killed by authorities in Tehran.
Following the January protests that witnessed widespread demonstrations against the oppressive regime in various cities across Iran, Tehran’s Revolutionary Court has sentenced four individuals to death for their involvement. The convicted individuals are Bita Hemmati, her husband Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl, and two others, Behrouz Zamaninejad and Kourosh Zamaninejad, who resided in the same building as the couple. Hemmati is reportedly the first woman to be handed a death sentence in connection with the January uprising.
The detainees have been accused of engaging in “operational action for the hostile government of the United States and hostile groups” as per the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Additionally, they have been charged with “assembly and collusion against national security” and have been sentenced to five years in prison in Iran, with all their assets seized.
According to a source close to the families of the detainees, the couples were residents of Tehran, while the other two individuals lived in the same building. The arrests of all four were made simultaneously.
Judge Iman Afshari alleged that the group had caused harm to security forces and used explosive materials and unspecified weapons during the protests on January 8 and 9. Human rights organizations have raised concerns about the pressure exerted during the detainees’ interrogations, suggesting that their confessions might have been coerced.
The Center for Human Rights in Iran, based in New York, has condemned the actions of the Iranian government, highlighting the lack of fair trials and due process for individuals arrested during the protests. The organization stated that many individuals have been sentenced to death based on forced confessions obtained through torture.
The protests in Iran began on December 28, 2025, spreading rapidly across the country. The regime enforced an internet blackout during that time, and reports indicated a significant number of casualties as the government tried to suppress the uprising.