Iran executes foreign national over alleged role in January protests in Isfahan
Iran's judiciary has executed a man described as a foreign national for his alleged involvement in January protests in Isfahan that left four security personnel dead. Human rights groups continue to raise concerns over forced confessions and unfair trials in Iran.
Iran's judiciary announced on Thursday that it had executed a man identified as a foreign national over his alleged participation in anti-government protests held in the city of Isfahan in January. The judiciary's Mizan news agency named him as Qaim Hosseini, also known by the alias "Arian," though his nationality was not disclosed.
According to Mizan, Hosseini confessed to taking part in protests on 8 January in Ali Khani Square in Isfahan. The judiciary had previously stated that four security personnel were killed during the unrest at the square. In the aftermath, 59 people were arrested on charges related to the demonstrations.
Previous executions in the case
Four other detainees connected to the case — Abolfazl Sepahi, Amirhossein Safari, Erfan Esfandiari and Golmohammad Mohammadi — had already been executed. Mizan reported that Hosseini was carrying a "cold weapon" during the protests and, based on evidence and confessions from other defendants, had been present at the scene where the officers were killed and had kicked the bodies of the deceased. He was also accused of stealing items from a charity organisation and setting them alight.
Iran's judiciary said the trial was conducted with a lawyer present and that the death sentence was reviewed and upheld by the Supreme Court after an appeal.
Rights groups raise concerns
Human rights organisations have repeatedly voiced concern over reports of forced confessions in Iran, along with restricted access to legal counsel and fair-trial guarantees. Activists have accused Tehran of using capital punishment in protest-related cases to instil fear and suppress dissent.
A report published this week by the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran found that at least 901 people have been executed in Iran since the start of 2026, including 28 in August alone. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a report to the General Assembly, said at least 975 people were executed in Iran in 2024 — a 17% rise from the prior year and the highest figure since 2015 — while at least 612 executions were recorded in the first half of 2025, up 119% year-on-year.
