Updated · National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) · Aug 22
Iran Executes 21-Year-Old Afghan in Alikhani Square Case, Raising Protester Death Toll to 5
Updated
Updated · National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) · Aug 22
Iran Executes 21-Year-Old Afghan in Alikhani Square Case, Raising Protester Death Toll to 5
3 articles · Updated · National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) · Aug 22
Summary
Iran’s judiciary said it hanged 21-year-old Afghan national Ghaem Hosseini in Isfahan on Aug. 20, making him the fifth defendant executed in the Alikhani Square case tied to the January 2026 uprising.
Authorities said Hosseini—also known as Arian—was convicted by a Revolutionary Court on charges including brandishing a weapon, spreading fear, disrupting public order and acting against national security.
Four others in the same case were executed over the past month: Erfan Esfandiari and Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi on July 19, then Abolfazl Sepahi and Amirhossein Safari in a public hanging at Alikhani Square on July 28.
That July 28 execution drew rare street resistance, with protesters gathering in Alikhani Square, clashing with security forces and chanting against the regime before the hangings proceeded under heavy security.
The latest execution signals Iran’s continuing use of capital punishment against people detained in the January unrest, with other defendants in the case still on death row.