The Iranian government is preparing to carry out the execution of four protestors, including a woman who is believed to be the first female detainee to face death in Tehran.
Following the January protests, where citizens across Iran took to the streets to protest against the oppressive regime, Tehran has been actively pursuing individuals involved. The Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced four individuals, including Bita Hemmati, her husband Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl, Behrouz Zamaninejad, and Kourosh Zamaninejad, who were all arrested after the widespread demonstrations, to death.
The detainees were charged with “operational action for the hostile government of the United States and hostile groups” and “assembly and collusion against national security,” according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Additionally, they have been handed five-year prison terms in Iran’s facilities, with all their assets confiscated.
Iman Afshari, a well-known Iranian judge, alleged that the group caused harm to law enforcement during the protests in early January by using explosive materials and unspecified weapons.
Concerns have been raised by human rights organizations about the treatment of the detainees during interrogations, suggesting that they may have been coerced into making confessions. The Center for Human Rights in Iran, based in New York, criticized the Iranian regime for conducting unfair trials without due process, access to independent counsel, and relying on forced confessions obtained through torture.
The protests in Iran began on December 28, 2025, spreading rapidly throughout the country. Reports indicate that the regime implemented an internet blackout at that time, with speculation that thousands of individuals may have lost their lives as the government tried to suppress the uprising.