The Iranian government is preparing to carry out the execution of four individuals, including a woman who is believed to be the first female detainee to face the death penalty in Tehran.
In response to the January protests that erupted across various cities in Iran against the oppressive regime, Tehran has intensified its crackdown on those involved. The Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced four individuals, who were arrested during the protests, to death.
The four condemned individuals are identified as Bita Hemmati and her husband Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl, along with two other residents of the same building, Behrouz Zamaninejad and Kourosh Zamaninejad. To date, seven individuals linked to the protests have been executed in Tehran, with Hemmati being the first woman to receive a death sentence in connection to the January demonstrations.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the detainees were charged with “engaging in activities against the United States government and hostile groups” and “participating in activities against national security.” Additionally, they were handed five-year prison sentences and had their assets confiscated.
A source close to the families of the detainees, as reported by HRANA, stated that “Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl and Bita Hemmati are a married couple residing in Tehran, while Amir Hemmati is their relative. Kourosh Zamaninejad and Behrouz Zamaninejad lived in the same residential complex and were arrested simultaneously.”
The group was accused by the notorious Iranian judge Iman Afshari of causing harm to authorities and using explosive materials and unspecified weapons during the protests on January 8 and 9.
Human rights organizations have raised concerns that the detainees, including the couple and their neighbors, may have been coerced into making confessions during their interrogations. Another human rights group, the Center for Human Rights in Iran based in New York, warned about the Iranian government’s severe actions, citing unfair trials and reliance on forced confessions obtained through torture.
The protests that erupted in Iran on December 28, 2025, spread rapidly across the country. The government enforced an internet blackout during that time, with reports indicating a significant number of casualties as the regime sought to quell the unrest.
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