Iran has sharply accelerated the use of the death penalty against individuals accused of involvement in the January protests and alleged espionage, with authorities increasingly relying on a newly enacted espionage law that significantly expands the scope of capital punishment for national security offenses.
On July 22, Iran’s Judiciary announced the execution of Mehdi Khanaki, who was arrested for charges related to his activity in the January protests. According to the Judiciary’s news agency, Mizan, Khanki was convicted of “operational actions” on behalf of Israel, the United States, and hostile groups, as well as manufacturing and possessing weapons, explosives, and ammunition. Officials also announced the confiscation of all of his property.
According to the Judiciary, Khanki’s death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court before being carried out. However, authorities disclosed few details regarding the judicial proceedings, including the identity of the trial court judges, the substance of his legal defense, or the arguments presented by his attorney. The official report also did not identify the opposition group that Khanki was accused of joining.
Khanki is among the first known protesters to be executed under Iran’s new “Law on Intensifying Punishment for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime and Hostile States.” The legislation was initially approved by Parliament shortly before the end of the twelve-day war with Israel and later became law after review by the Guardian Council. Under the statute, a broad range of activities described as espionage, intelligence cooperation, or “operational action” on behalf of hostile governments or organizations may be punished by execution and confiscation of assets.
The legislation drew criticism from numerous Iranian legal scholars, lawyers, and civil society figures, who argued that its broad definitions could undermine constitutional protections and fair trial guarantees while expanding the use of capital punishment in political and national security cases. Khanki’s execution follows a broader surge in executions carried out after the recent conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States. Human rights organizations report that Iranian authorities have increasingly pursued death sentences against individuals accused of espionage, collaboration with foreign governments, and participation in the January protests.
During the past week alone, Mohammad Amini Dehaghani, Mohieddin Abdollahi, and Hossein Palani were also executed after being convicted in national security-related cases. In separate proceedings, Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi and Erfan Esfandiari, two detainees connected to the Alikhani Square case in Isfahan, were executed following convictions stemming from the January unrest.
Meanwhile, Iran Human Rights has reported that Mojtaba Dehbandi and Kianoush Hamzehei Kazerouni have also been sentenced to death over allegations linked to the Dey uprising, while UN-appointed independent human rights experts have urged Iran to immediately halt the executions of ten additional men arrested in connection with the Alikhani Square case. According to the experts, several families have reportedly been summoned for final visits, raising concerns that further executions may be imminent.
International human rights bodies have expressed growing concern over both the pace of the executions and the fairness of the judicial process. They have questioned whether defendants received meaningful access to legal counsel and due process, particularly in politically sensitive national security cases. UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran Mai Sato has warned that the death penalty is increasingly being used as a tool to spread fear and suppress dissent, noting that executions have risen to unusually high levels over the past year and have accelerated further since the recent regional conflict.
At the same time, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei has repeatedly instructed prosecutors to process cases involving wartime detainees and participants in the January protests rapidly and without leniency, reinforcing the government’s determination to conclude these cases swiftly and harshly.
The convergence of the new espionage law, expedited judicial procedures, and the growing number of executions suggests that Iran has entered a new phase of post-conflict repression in which national security legislation is being used more extensively against individuals accused of involvement in political unrest.