Iran executes three men over January protests as rights groups dispute trial fairness

What happened

Iran executed three men on Sunday after convicting them of carrying out operations for Israel and the US and participating in armed unrest during anti-government protests in January, state media reported ¹. The three men were identified as Hassan Dioband, Hamid Kazemi and Reza Zanganeh, according to The Times of India ². The South China Morning Post, citing the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group, reported that the men were hanged at dawn in the city of Karaj outside Tehran ³. The Times of India reported that the three were sentenced to death and their assets were ordered confiscated ⁴. The remaining defendants were handed prison terms ranging from five to 10 years ⁵.

What is confirmed

Two claims are confirmed by more than one outlet. Iran executed three men on Sunday convicted of carrying out operations for Israel and the US ¹. The remaining defendants in the case received prison terms of five to 10 years ⁵. Both claims were reported by The Times of India and the South China Morning Post.

Where the accounts differ

The accounts differ on the nature of the trial and the charges. The Times of India reported that the three men were accused of using firearms, grenades and Molotov cocktails, setting fire to public facilities and damaging an electricity substation in Karaj, causing power outages ⁶. The BBC reported that Iran executed the three men for 'armed unrest' after the January protests ⁷. The South China Morning Post, citing the Iran Human Rights group, reported that the three were deprived of due process and fair trial rights ⁸. The same outlet, citing the Hengaw rights group, reported that the allegation that Zanganeh collaborated with Israel was based solely on his professional activities and work-related travel ⁹. The Times of India reported that the executions were carried out after the Supreme Court upheld the sentences ¹⁰. The South China Morning Post reported that the hangings brought the number of men hanged over the January protests to at least 39 ¹¹.

What is not known yet

Several details rest on single outlets. The Times of India reported that Dioband was arrested on January 11 after investigators identified him as a suspect in attacks on public property and incitement to violence ¹². The same outlet reported that ten other people accused of participating in the unrest under Dioband's supervision were subsequently arrested ¹³. The South China Morning Post reported that Iran executed three men on Sunday over the January 2026 protests ¹⁴. The same outlet, citing Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam, reported that hundreds more protesters and war detainees face the risk of death sentences ¹⁵. The ledger does not establish the full identities or charges against the remaining defendants, nor does it provide a response from Iranian authorities to the rights groups' allegations.

Why it matters

The case places Iran's judiciary and its handling of January protest cases under international scrutiny. If confirmed, the claim that at least 39 men have been hanged over the January protests ¹¹ would suggest a widening use of capital punishment, though this figure is reported only by the South China Morning Post and is not corroborated in the ledger. The warning from Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam that hundreds more face the risk of death sentences ¹⁵, reported only by the South China Morning Post, suggests that further executions may follow. Analysis: the gap between Iran's account of operations for Israel and the US ¹ and the rights groups' account of unfair trials ⁸ means the case is likely to remain contested internationally.