As the possibility of a new agreement between the Islamic Republic and the United States to halt hostilities appears to be increasing, Iranian authorities have placed several younger men accused of dissent and protesting the country's conditions at risk of execution. On Saturday, June 13, 2026, human rights activists and organizations warned about the growing danger of the execution of Armin Nourmohammadi, Iman Ganji, and Ali Kamali.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Ali Kamali, one of those arrested during the nationwide protests of January 2026, has been sentenced to death. He was recently transferred from Tehran Greater Prison to Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, a move that has heightened concerns among his family and supporters over the possibility of his imminent execution.
Kamali, a resident of Malaysia, was arrested in Tehran on January 11, 2026, only a few days after returning to Iran during the nationwide protests. In May 2026, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced him to death on charges of "enmity against God" (moharebeh), a broadly defined offense that Iranian authorities have frequently used against protesters and political opponents.
Iman Ganji, a 33-year-old detainee from the January 2026 protests who is currently held in Tehran Greater Prison, was also convicted of moharebeh and sentenced to death by Judge Iman Afshari of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Prosecutors cited the alleged "burning of public property" as the basis for the charge against him.
According to the lawyer representing the 27-year-old defendant, a request for judicial review was filed within the legal deadline on February 7, 2026. However, Judge Salavati has allegedly refused to forward the case from Branch 15 to Branch 9 of the Supreme Court, a move the lawyer described as unlawful.
Armin Nourmohammadi, an architecture student who participated in the nationwide protests of 2022 and had been arrested on March 30, 2023, was sentenced to death on January 18, 2026, by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court under Judge Salavati.
In its latest report, Amnesty International stated that since the outbreak of the conflict involving the United States and Israel in March 2026, Iranian authorities have executed at least 42 dissidents and opponents. The organization warned that the death penalty continues to be used as a tool to instill fear, silence dissenting voices, and intensify the atmosphere of repression across the country.
