Iran executes protest‑linked prisoners Aref Khoshkar and two Jan‑2026 demonstrators

Iran's judiciary carried out a series of executions linked to the nationwide protests that erupted after Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022. On 18 July 2026, Aref Khoshkar was executed after being convicted of killing Basij member Salman Amir Ahmadi during the 2022 demonstrations. The execution was confirmed by the Mizan agency and followed the Supreme Court’s approval of the death sentence.

The next day, two men – Erfan Esfandari (19) and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi (23, Afghan national) – were hanged for the killing of police officers during the large anti‑government protests in December 2022 and January 2023. Iranian authorities said the pair recorded the killings and broadcast the footage abroad. Both cases are part of a wave of capital punishments; UN data reported at least 40 men executed in 2026, 18 of whom were linked to the protests. International human‑rights groups have condemned the trials, alleging forced confessions, lack of fair representation and the use of the death penalty as a tool of political repression.