Iran’s judiciary has announced several executions this week in connection with unrest spanning recent months, characterizing those executed as elements working to “create divisions” amid the country’s conflict with the United States.
On Wednesday, state judicial media reported the execution of Mehdi Khanaki, identified as an active member of a terrorist organization who was detained during nationwide protests in January. Security forces conducted a raid in Karaj near Tehran where officials said they recovered firearms, ammunition and explosives. A revolutionary court tried him on charges including actions benefiting Israel, the United States and hostile groups. On Sunday, two additional men were executed in a case involving 16 defendants stemming from deadly protests in Isfahan on January 8, with authorities claiming the men contributed to the deaths of police officers during those demonstrations. International human rights groups have disputed state accounts of the protests, alleging inadequate legal procedures and torture allegations.
The initial protests began on December 28 in central Tehran over economic grievances before expanding into broader demonstrations against the establishment. Iran’s government characterizes the unrest, during which thousands died mostly on January 8 and 9, as a US and Israeli orchestrated coup. International organizations including Amnesty International have documented what they describe as large-scale unlawful killings during an internet shutdown, findings Tehran rejects. Tens of thousands have been detained following the protests and the US-Israeli war beginning on February 28.
On July 13, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence released a list of “hostile media” comprising dozens of networks, 61 individuals and 310 online accounts, warning that sharing information with these entities could result in imprisonment and permanent employment exclusion. Security-related laws enacted after a 2025 conflict with Israel impose harsher penalties for alleged espionage and cooperation with foreign powers deemed hostile. The state has confiscated assets from hundreds of individuals, including prominent businessmen and entertainers, and periodically broadcasts televised confessions from detained or executed persons.
Iranian leadership has emphasized messages of national unity and resolve during the conflict. The newly selected supreme leader called for “sacred unity” among citizens and political factions, while the chief justice warned against “infiltrators” seeking to divide the population, stating such individuals might disguise themselves as insiders working against national cohesion.
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