Mehdi Ghasemi

Mehdi Ghasemi, Saleh Mohammadi, and Saeed Davoudi, who were arrested during the January protests, have been executed. The Judiciary of the Islamic Republic announced that they were executed on March 19, 2026, in Qom, 'in the presence of a group of individuals'. According to the Judiciary, these three individuals attacked and killed two police officers with a cold weapon during the protests on January 8, 2026. The report also states that the defendants confessed to their charges during interrogation and court proceedings. Hours later, the forced confessions of these defendants were broadcast on Iranian television. (1) Based on reports and videos published by state media regarding these executions, all three protesters were convicted in court solely on the basis of confessions, with no other evidence presented to prove their guilt. As the report mentions obtaining 'permission for execution', it appears that Saleh and Mehdi were executed on charges of murder, and Saeed on charges of 'moharebeh' (enmity against God). Official media reports declared these protesters to be linked to Israel and the United States, despite the absence of any evidence substantiating their connection to any foreign government. (2)