ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran on Saturday carried out the death sentence of a man accused of committing murder during the 2022 Jin Jiyan Azadi (Woman Life Freedom) protests, the latest in a spike in executions that has drawn criticism from human rights monitors.
Mehran Bahramian was executed on the charge of killing a security guard in the city of Semirom in Isfahan province, stated Mizan, the official media outlet of Iran’s judiciary.
Mohsen Rezaei, a member of the Basij paramilitary force, was killed during a memorial ceremony for three men killed during the protests.
Bahramian and his brothers Younis and Fazel were arrested in connection with his murder in December 2022. Younes was sentenced to 16 years in prison while Fazel also received a death sentence and his execution is imminent, according to Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.
Hengaw said there is insufficient evidence linking Bahramian to the murder.
“Despite the absence of conclusive evidence from surveillance cameras across Semirom to establish his involvement in the alleged crime, the death sentence against Mehran Bahramian was carried out,” it said.
The execution comes in the lead up to the third anniversary of the Jin Jiyan Azadi protest movement that was sparked by the death of Kurdish woman Zhina (Mahsa) Amini in police custody.
The United Nations has accused Iran of using a high number of executions to intimidate the population, especially minority groups.
“Iranian authorities have executed at least 841 people since the beginning of the year and up until 28 August 2025, according to information gathered by the UN Human Rights Office - ignoring multiple calls to join the worldwide movement towards abolition of the death penalty,” the United Nations human rights office said last month.
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