Iran executes teenager for alleged role in anti-government protests

Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old athlete on Iran’s national wrestling team, was among three individuals executed on March 19, 2026, at Qom Central Prison for alleged involvement in the killing of two Law Enforcement Command officers during anti-government protests in January 2026. The trio, including Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi, faced charges of moharebeh (‘waging war against God’) and murder. Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana) reported that the men were sentenced to death after confessions obtained through torture, despite no evidence placing Mohammadi at the crime scene. CCTV footage and family testimony did not confirm his presence during the incidents at Nokouei Intersection and Nobovat Square on January 8, 2026. The court rejected exculpatory evidence and denied access to independent legal counsel, reinforcing concerns about coerced confessions and politically motivated trials. Mohammadi’s case aligns with Iran’s use of judicial mechanisms to suppress dissent.

“The trio, including Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi, faced charges of moharebeh ('waging war against God') and murder.”

Iran’s legal system, governed by the 2013 Islamic Penal Code (IPC), grants judges broad authority to impose capital punishment for crimes deemed threats to national security or religious order. Article 167 of the IPC permits reliance on Islamic fatwas and Sharia law when codified laws are absent, enabling death sentences for offenses like moharebeh and economic crimes disrupting stability (mofsede-fel-arz). The IPC classifies offenses into hudud (fixed punishments), qisas (retribution), and tazir (discretionary penalties). Moharebeh, a charge in Mohammadi’s case, falls under tazir, allowing judges to impose death sentences for acts perceived as subversive. All death sentences require approval from the Supreme Court of Cassation, a process critics argue lacks transparency and due process.

The 2025–2026 protests, which began in December 2025, initially emerged from economic grievances, including a 75% currency devaluation and a 40% inflation surge. However, demonstrations evolved into calls for political reform, challenging the clerical leadership’s control over power. Participation spanned bazaaris, students, and urban workers, marking the largest unrest since the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests. The Iranian government responded with selective repression, deploying security forces like the Basij and Revolutionary Guard to quell demonstrations while avoiding mass arrests seen in 2019. Analysts noted the state’s use of ‘calibrated coercion’ and ‘controlled narrative framing’ to manage public dissent.

Hrana reported at least 7,000 deaths, including 6,488 protesters and 236 children, during the crackdown on the 2025–2026 protests. These figures, unverified by official sources, highlight the scale of state violence, including mass arrests, internet blackouts, and military deployments. The agency documented cases of torture, forced confessions, and extrajudicial killings, intensifying international condemnation of Iran’s human rights record. In addition to Mohammadi’s execution, Iran executed Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian-Swedish national, for espionage. Keyvani was sentenced to death under charges of espionage and treason, drawing scrutiny from Sweden’s foreign minister, who criticized the legal process as flawed. Sweden’s government expressed concerns over the lack of transparency in Keyvani’s trial, which reportedly relied on coerced confessions and denied access to independent legal counsel. The execution of a foreign national further intensified international criticism of Iran’s legal system.

“Hrana reported at least 7,000 deaths, including 6,488 protesters and 236 children, during the crackdown on the 2025–2026 protests.”

“Iran's legal system, governed by the 2013 Islamic Penal Code (IPC), grants judges broad authority to impose capital punishment for crimes deemed threats to national security or religious order.”

The U.S. imposed 12 sanctions on Iranian officials and military entities in response to the government’s repression of protesters and refusal to address international demands for accountability. These sanctions, part of broader measures targeting Iran’s financial and military sectors, reflect the U.S. stance on Iran’s human rights violations and use of the death penalty for political crimes. The U.S. also threatened ‘strong action’ against Iran, escalating tensions ahead of the 2026 Iran war. The war, which erupted following prolonged tensions, marked a significant escalation in U.S.-Iran relations. The conflict involved aerial strikes, naval confrontations, and ground operations, further straining diplomatic ties. European allies, including the EU, criticized the conflict for risking regional destabilization and wider conflict. The EU, which had previously designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, continued to condemn Iran’s human rights record and its use of lethal force against protesters.

Iran’s government denied allegations of excessive force and the execution of protesters, attributing deaths to ‘law enforcement operations’ against ‘armed insurgents’. However, independent investigations and human rights organizations have criticized the legal process as grossly unfair, citing trials marked by the denial of legal representation, coerced confessions, and the absence of due process. The scale of the crackdown, combined with the state’s refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing, has further isolated Iran internationally, with the regime facing mounting pressure to reform its legal and political systems.