Wire flash
ConflictIran executes two anti-government protesters for filming and transmitting footage abroad
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
Iran's judiciary announced on July 19, 2026, that two men, Erfan Esfandiari and Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi, were hanged for their involvement in anti-government protests that peaked in January 2026. The indictment stated they tied police officers to a road sign, injured them with stones, doused them with gasoline, and set them on fire in Isfahan. They were also accused of filming the scene and transmitting the footage to foreign television channels. The protests, initially sparked by economic grievances, escalated into widespread demonstrations. Iranian authorities reported over 3,000 deaths, blaming 'terrorist acts' orchestrated by the US and Israel, while foreign NGOs claim security forces fired on protesters. The executions come amid a surge in state executions since the West Asia war began in February 2026, with at least 1,639 people executed in Iran in 2025, the highest since 1989.
Source report
The indictment stated that the two individuals had "filmed the scene of the killing and transmitted the footage to television channels" abroad.
Published - July 19, 2026 10:01 pm IST | Tehran
AFP
Iran's judiciary announced that two men were hanged on Sunday (July 19, 2026) over charges relating to anti-government protests that peaked in January, having begun a month earlier over economic grievances.
The two men, Erfan Esfandiari and Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi, were found guilty of "tying police officers to a road sign with ropes, injuring them with stones, dousing them with gasoline, and setting them on fire" in the central city of Isfahan, said the judiciary.
Also Read | Iran executed 21, arrested 4,000 since West Asia war began: U.N.
The indictment stated that the two individuals had "filmed the scene of the killing and transmitted the footage to television channels" abroad. The statement did not specify the dates of their arrest or trial, and did not give the men's ages.
In late December, a protest movement initially sparked by the high cost of living rapidly evolved into widespread anti-government demonstrations that peaked on January 8 and 9.
Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths, attributing the violence to "terrorist acts" orchestrated by the United States and Israel, while foreign-based NGOs maintain that security forces fired on protesters.
U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened at the time to intervene militarily in Iran before the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack on the country on February 28, triggering the West Asia war.
Since then, arrests and executions have multiplied in the country, linked both to the conflict and to the protests that took place earlier in the year.
In 2025, the authorities executed at least 1,639 people, the largest number for any year since 1989, according to the NGOs Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM). According to Amnesty International, Iran is responsible for the second most executions of any country, after China.
Published - July 19, 2026 10:01 pm IST
Source
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Regional
Part of this Story
Iran executes two anti-government protesters for filming and transmitting footage abroad