Iran to execute first female protester tied to anti-regime unrest

Iran is acceptable to execute its archetypal pistillate protester tied to the January 2026 uprising successful Tehran, according to aggregate quality rights organizations. 

Bita Hemmati was named successful a corporate decease sentencing alongside 3 different defendants, including her husband, Mohammadreza Majid-Asl, 34, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

The couple’s reported neighbors, Behrouz Zamaninejad and Kourosh Zamaninejad, were besides sentenced to death, portion a relative, Amir Hemmati, received 5 years successful prison.

The verdicts people immoderate of the astir caller superior punishment decisions amid the government’s broader crackdown connected suppressing unrest. Possibly thousands of protesters person reportedly been killed since demonstrations erupted this year.

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Iranians stitchery portion blocking a thoroughfare during a protestation successful Tehran, Iran connected Jan. 9, 2026.   (MAHSA / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

"Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl and Bita Hemmati are a mates surviving successful Tehran, and Amir Hemmati is simply a comparative of the two," a root told HRANA. "Kourosh Zamaninejad and Behrouz Zamaninejad were surviving successful the aforesaid residential building, and their arrests took spot simultaneously."

No execution day has yet been given.

The Tehran Revolutionary Court reportedly accused the defendants of aggregate offenses, including nationalist information disruption successful transportation with the "hostile authorities of the United States," according to HRANA.

On Jan. 8 and 9, the defendants allegedly utilized explosives and weapons, threw objects specified arsenic factual blocks and incendiary materials from rooftops, injured information forces, and engaged successful "propaganda against the regime" successful an effort to undermine security, according to national authorities.

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In this framework drawback from video obtained by the AP extracurricular Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a representation of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protestation successful Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

Alongside the superior punishment verdicts, the tribunal besides issued 5 years of discretionary imprisonment and ordered the seizure of their idiosyncratic assets. 

Officials added that the 5th associate, Amir Hemmati, was specifically convicted of "assembly and collusion against nationalist security" and "propaganda against the regime," the groups said.

Human rights activists further raised concerns that the defendants’ confessions whitethorn person been coerced, citing allegations of torture and interrogation.

Mourners clasp pictures of the precocious Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei successful Isfahan, Iran, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Payman Shahsanaei/ISNA via AP)

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The organizations, which are urging a halt to the executions, besides claimed a deficiency of circumstantial grounds linking the accused to the alleged crimes, and argued that Tehran is seeking to intimidate the nationalist successful bid to forestall aboriginal civilian unrest. 

Widespread protests archetypal erupted successful precocious December 2025 successful Tehran amid an economical situation marked by a collapsing currency and soaring inflation. Tensions past rapidly escalated into broader anti-government unrest that dispersed crossed aggregate cities.

Washington officially joined the struggle with the motorboat of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, 2026, erstwhile it conducted monolithic associated airstrikes with Israel that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.