Iran on Thursday executed an Afghan national convicted of involvement in the killing of police officers during anti-government demonstrations in January, marking the 30th protester execution since the start of the Middle East war, according to a rights group. The Iran Human Rights (IHR) group identified the executed man as 21-year-old Ghaem Hosseini, an Afghan national who was hanged at Isfahan central prison.
Conviction and Allegations
The Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website reported that Hosseini was executed after being convicted of involvement in the deaths of four police officers. It described him as a foreign national without providing further details. Mizan Online stated that Hosseini was convicted "of drawing a weapon and causing fear and terror, creating widespread insecurity, acting against people's physical integrity and national security in a manner that seriously disrupted public order."
However, according to the Norway-based IHR group, Hosseini was accused only of kicking one of the policemen. IHR said the "authorities have presented no evidence proving that his actions led to the death of any of the policemen." Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of IHR, described the case as "a stark example of collective punishment and the arbitrary use of the death penalty by the Islamic Republic."
Broader Execution Wave
Hosseini is the fifth person to be hanged in the case involving the deaths of four policemen in Isfahan during the nationwide protests that peaked in January. He is also the second Afghan national to be executed over the protests, following Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, who was hanged in the same case in July. IHR reported that at least 12 defendants in the case have been sentenced to death.
IHR said that since wartime executions resumed on March 19, at least 30 protesters have been executed — 28 in connection with the January protests and two in connection with the "Woman. Life. Freedom." protests that erupted in 2022. "That is an average of more than one protester execution per week," it said.
International Concern
IHR says hundreds of other protesters have been sentenced to death or are facing charges that could carry the death penalty, including over 70 in Isfahan, the main city of central Iran, which saw intense protests in January. Iran's escalating use of the death penalty has triggered international concern, with rights groups and governments accusing Tehran of using executions to instil fear in society and prevent further protests. According to Amnesty International, Iran executed at least 2,159 people in 2025, but authorities now appear to be intensifying executions of protesters and others deemed political prisoners during the conflict.
