{"id":1760,"date":"2026-07-28T23:08:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T23:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760"},"modified":"2026-07-28T23:08:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T23:08:58","slug":"crowds-tried-to-stop-the-hangings-iran-carried-them-out-anyway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760","title":{"rendered":"Crowds Tried To Stop The Hangings. Iran Carried Them Out Anyway."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Just before dawn on Tuesday, hundreds of Iranians gathered in Isfahan hoping to stop two young men from being hanged. Instead, security forces violently dispersed the crowd and publicly executed 25-year-old Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and 28-year-old Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Ohio\u2019s GOP Gov Slams Trump\u2019s Plans To Send ICE After Haitian Migrants<\/a><\/p>\n

Both men were convicted on charges stemming from clashes that Iranian authorities say resulted in the deaths of four security officers<\/span>. Human rights groups say the men were sentenced after proceedings marred by allegations of torture, forced confessions, and closed-door trials.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The executions stem from the nationwide uprising that began in late December after a currency collapse, soaring inflation, and worsening living conditions sparked protests across Iran. Iranian regime forces responded with a sweeping crackdown that included internet shutdowns, mass arrests, and the widespread use of lethal force.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The executions, which reportedly took place at 3:40 a.m. local time, coinciding with the morning call to prayer, came despite last-minute appeals from United Nations experts, international human rights organizations, and the State Department.<\/span><\/p>\n

Days before the hangings, State Department Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Riley Barnes condemned Iran\u2019s execution campaign, saying the United States stood with \u201cbrave young Iranians who dared to raise their voices\u201d and calling on the regime to release political prisoners and stop executing individuals for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights.<\/span><\/p>\n

President Donald Trump <\/span>has continued <\/span>to call out the treatment of protesters and the executions, including last week, when he shared a graphic about the execution of another January protester, 23-year-old Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe latest one of 52,000, plus, innocent protesters. Savages!!! When will the Dumocrats wake up??? Trump posted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Human rights groups have not verified Trump\u2019s figure of 52,000 protesters killed, though Amnesty International and U.N. officials have estimated that several thousand were killed during the regime\u2019s January crackdown. Iran has acknowledged that 3,117 people were killed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than silencing dissent, the executions appeared to galvanize it for the first time since January.<\/span><\/p>\n

Videos posted by <\/span>Radio Free Europe<\/span> showed crowds gathering in Isfahan to demonstrate during the executions, with demonstrators chanting \u201cWithout honor!\u201d while security forces maintained a heavy presence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Iranian Demonstrators Protest State Executions In Isfahan<\/p>\n

Videos posted on social media appeared to show crowds of protesters gathering in Isfahan on July 28 to demonstrate as state executions of two men took place.<\/p>\n

With more executions feared, the videos show groups of people\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/6U550mm6od<\/p>\n

\u2014 Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) July 28, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Videos<\/span> shared by Iran International showed residents gathering overnight in hopes of stopping the executions before authorities dispersed the crowd.<\/span><\/p>\n

Messages sent to Iran International from Bandar Abbas, Pardis, Khomein, and other cities described a country grieving but increasingly determined to continue resisting the Islamic Republic. Many said they stayed awake until morning hoping the executions would be called off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe wished until sunrise that morning would never come to Isfahan,\u201d one person wrote.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe people of Isfahan showed that when the next call comes, millions across the country will return to the streets,\u201d one resident of Bandar Abbas said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Trump To Honor 16-Year-Old Lifeguard After Heroic Rescue Goes Viral<\/a><\/p>\n

Another reaction shared by the outlet echoed that sentiment: \u201cDid you think executing our brothers and sisters would make us retreat or become afraid? It has only made us more determined.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The two men were among 12 defendants sentenced to death in what has become known as the Alikhani Square case, which stems from the January anti-government protests in Isfahan. They are reportedly accused of arson, vandalism, killing four security personnel, and \u201cwaging war on God.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the Oslo-based <\/span>Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO)<\/span> organization, 62 people were initially arrested in connection with the incident and subjected to months of interrogation, during which rights groups allege many were tortured.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ahead of the executions, U.N. experts led by Special Rapporteur <\/span>Mai Sato<\/span> urged Iranian authorities to halt the executions and <\/span>claimed sentencing all 12 defendants to death in a single closed-door proceeding violated internationally recognized fair trial standards. The experts said the convictions relied heavily on televised confessions, while hearings were held behind closed doors and judgments were never made public.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

IHRNGO also alleged that some defendants were tried remotely from prison without lawyers present and that Iranian state television later aired forced confessions as part of a propaganda documentary. The organization also says families of death row prisoners are routinely threatened and coerced into remaining silent about their loved ones\u2019 cases.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to IHRNGO, at least 26 protesters have been executed in connection with the December 2025\u2013January 2026 uprising, including Sepahi and Safari, and more than 70 additional protesters remain at risk of execution in Isfahan\u2019s Dastgerd Central Prison.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even behind prison walls, resistance has continued. Hundreds of death row inmates at Ghezel Hesar Prison near Tehran have joined a mass hunger strike to protest Iran\u2019s escalating use of the death penalty, reported The Guardian. According to Iranian rights groups, at least 1,500 prisoners have participated in the strike, which began after six men convicted on drug-related charges were transferred to solitary confinement ahead of possible executions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Videos shared by rights groups show prisoners holding signs reading \u201cNo to Executions\u201d and chanting, \u201cBe our voice.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In one video, a prisoner is seen sewing his lips shut after he said prison officials ignored the protest for days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to <\/span>IHRNGO<\/span>, at least 424 people have been executed in Iran so far this year. The organization documented 795 executions in 2025, the highest annual total in years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While many of those executions involved drug-related offenses, rights groups say the Islamic Republic has increasingly used capital punishment against political dissidents and protesters in the months following the January anti-government uprising, with many convictions allegedly secured through torture and forced confessions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Iran Human Rights Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam condemned Tuesday\u2019s hangings, calling public executions \u201ca cruel form of state terror\u201d intended to instill fear and deter future protests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy resorting once again to the medieval practice of public hangings, the Islamic Republic is trying to instill fear throughout society and deter future protests,\u201d Amiry-Moghaddam said. \u201cPublic executions are a cruel form of state terror that the international community must not tolerate.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Amnesty International <\/span>warned that the international community\u2019s failure to hold Tehran accountable for its crackdown risks emboldening further abuses.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe international community\u2019s failure to pursue international justice for these serious crimes has emboldened the Iranian authorities to threaten further mass killings by \u2018trigger-ready\u2019 security forces targeting protesters and dissidents they label as \u2018enemies.\u2019\u201d Diana Eltahawy, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Trump Honors Lindsey Graham: \u2018The Giant Of The United States Senate\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just before dawn on Tuesday, hundreds of Iranians gathered in Isfahan hoping to stop two young men from being hanged. Instead, security forces violently dispersed the crowd and publicly executed 25-year-old Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and 28-year-old Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi.Both men were convicted on charges stemming from clashes that Iranian authorities say resulted in the deaths of four security officers. Human rights groups say the men were sentenced after proceedings marred by allegations of torture, forced confessions, and closed-door trials.\u00a0The executions stem from the nationwide uprising that began in late December after a currency collapse, soaring inflation, and worsening living conditions sparked protests across Iran. Iranian regime forces responded with a sweeping crackdown that included internet shutdowns, mass arrests, and the widespread use of lethal force.\u00a0The executions, which reportedly took place at 3:40 a.m. local time, coinciding with the morning call to prayer, came despite last-minute appeals from United Nations experts, international human rights organizations, and the State Department.Days before the hangings, State Department Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Riley Barnes condemned Iran\u2019s execution campaign, saying the United States stood with \u201cbrave young Iranians who dared to raise their voices\u201d and calling on the regime to release political prisoners and stop executing individuals for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights.President Donald Trump has continued to call out the treatment of protesters and the executions, including last week, when he shared a graphic about the execution of another January protester, 23-year-old Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi.\u00a0\u201cThe latest one of 52,000, plus, innocent protesters. Savages!!! When will the Dumocrats wake up??? Trump posted.Human rights groups have not verified Trump\u2019s figure of 52,000 protesters killed, though Amnesty International and U.N. officials have estimated that several thousand were killed during the regime\u2019s January crackdown. Iran has acknowledged that 3,117 people were killed.Rather than silencing dissent, the executions appeared to galvanize it for the first time since January.Videos posted by Radio Free Europe showed crowds gathering in Isfahan to demonstrate during the executions, with demonstrators chanting \u201cWithout honor!\u201d while security forces maintained a heavy presence.Iranian Demonstrators Protest State Executions In IsfahanVideos posted on social media appeared to show crowds of protesters gathering in Isfahan on July 28 to demonstrate as state executions of two men took place.With more executions feared, the videos show groups of people\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/6U550mm6od\u2014 Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) July 28, 2026Videos shared by Iran International showed residents gathering overnight in hopes of stopping the executions before authorities dispersed the crowd.Messages sent to Iran International from Bandar Abbas, Pardis, Khomein, and other cities described a country grieving but increasingly determined to continue resisting the Islamic Republic. Many said they stayed awake until morning hoping the executions would be called off.\u201cWe wished until sunrise that morning would never come to Isfahan,\u201d one person wrote.\u201cThe people of Isfahan showed that when the next call comes, millions across the country will return to the streets,\u201d one resident of Bandar Abbas said.Another reaction shared by the outlet echoed that sentiment: \u201cDid you think executing our brothers and sisters would make us retreat or become afraid? It has only made us more determined.\u201dThe two men were among 12 defendants sentenced to death in what has become known as the Alikhani Square case, which stems from the January anti-government protests in Isfahan. They are reportedly accused of arson, vandalism, killing four security personnel, and \u201cwaging war on God.\u201dAccording to the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) organization, 62 people were initially arrested in connection with the incident and subjected to months of interrogation, during which rights groups allege many were tortured.\u00a0Ahead of the executions, U.N. experts led by Special Rapporteur Mai Sato urged Iranian authorities to halt the executions and claimed sentencing all 12 defendants to death in a single closed-door proceeding violated internationally recognized fair trial standards. The experts said the convictions relied heavily on televised confessions, while hearings were held behind closed doors and judgments were never made public.\u00a0IHRNGO also alleged that some defendants were tried remotely from prison without lawyers present and that Iranian state television later aired forced confessions as part of a propaganda documentary. The organization also says families of death row prisoners are routinely threatened and coerced into remaining silent about their loved ones\u2019 cases.According to IHRNGO, at least 26 protesters have been executed in connection with the December 2025\u2013January 2026 uprising, including Sepahi and Safari, and more than 70 additional protesters remain at risk of execution in Isfahan\u2019s Dastgerd Central Prison.Even behind prison walls, resistance has continued. Hundreds of death row inmates at Ghezel Hesar Prison near Tehran have joined a mass hunger strike to protest Iran\u2019s escalating use of the death penalty, reported The Guardian. According to Iranian rights groups, at least 1,500 prisoners have participated in the strike, which began after six men convicted on drug-related charges were transferred to solitary confinement ahead of possible executions.\u00a0Videos shared by rights groups show prisoners holding signs reading \u201cNo to Executions\u201d and chanting, \u201cBe our voice.\u201d\u00a0In one video, a prisoner is seen sewing his lips shut after he said prison officials ignored the protest for days.\u00a0According to IHRNGO, at least 424 people have been executed in Iran so far this year. The organization documented 795 executions in 2025, the highest annual total in years.\u00a0While many of those executions involved drug-related offenses, rights groups say the Islamic Republic has increasingly used capital punishment against political dissidents and protesters in the months following the January anti-government uprising, with many convictions allegedly secured through torture and forced confessions.\u00a0Iran Human Rights Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam condemned Tuesday\u2019s hangings, calling public executions \u201ca cruel form of state terror\u201d intended to instill fear and deter future protests.\u00a0\u201cBy resorting once again to the medieval practice of public hangings, the Islamic Republic is trying to instill fear throughout society and deter future protests,\u201d Amiry-Moghaddam said. \u201cPublic executions are a cruel form of state terror that the international community must not tolerate.\u201d\u00a0Amnesty International warned that the international community\u2019s failure to hold Tehran accountable for its crackdown risks emboldening further abuses.\u201cThe international community\u2019s failure to pursue international justice for these serious crimes has emboldened the Iranian authorities to threaten further mass killings by \u2018trigger-ready\u2019 security forces targeting protesters and dissidents they label as \u2018enemies.\u2019\u201d Diana Eltahawy, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-2"],"yoast_head":"\nCrowds Tried To Stop The Hangings. Iran Carried Them Out Anyway. - Blue Route Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Crowds Tried To Stop The Hangings. Iran Carried Them Out Anyway. - Blue Route Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Just before dawn on Tuesday, hundreds of Iranians gathered in Isfahan hoping to stop two young men from being hanged. Instead, security forces violently dispersed the crowd and publicly executed 25-year-old Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and 28-year-old Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi.Both men were convicted on charges stemming from clashes that Iranian authorities say resulted in the deaths of four security officers. Human rights groups say the men were sentenced after proceedings marred by allegations of torture, forced confessions, and closed-door trials.\u00a0The executions stem from the nationwide uprising that began in late December after a currency collapse, soaring inflation, and worsening living conditions sparked protests across Iran. Iranian regime forces responded with a sweeping crackdown that included internet shutdowns, mass arrests, and the widespread use of lethal force.\u00a0The executions, which reportedly took place at 3:40 a.m. local time, coinciding with the morning call to prayer, came despite last-minute appeals from United Nations experts, international human rights organizations, and the State Department.Days before the hangings, State Department Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Riley Barnes condemned Iran\u2019s execution campaign, saying the United States stood with \u201cbrave young Iranians who dared to raise their voices\u201d and calling on the regime to release political prisoners and stop executing individuals for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights.President Donald Trump has continued to call out the treatment of protesters and the executions, including last week, when he shared a graphic about the execution of another January protester, 23-year-old Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi.\u00a0\u201cThe latest one of 52,000, plus, innocent protesters. Savages!!! When will the Dumocrats wake up??? Trump posted.Human rights groups have not verified Trump\u2019s figure of 52,000 protesters killed, though Amnesty International and U.N. officials have estimated that several thousand were killed during the regime\u2019s January crackdown. Iran has acknowledged that 3,117 people were killed.Rather than silencing dissent, the executions appeared to galvanize it for the first time since January.Videos posted by Radio Free Europe showed crowds gathering in Isfahan to demonstrate during the executions, with demonstrators chanting \u201cWithout honor!\u201d while security forces maintained a heavy presence.Iranian Demonstrators Protest State Executions In IsfahanVideos posted on social media appeared to show crowds of protesters gathering in Isfahan on July 28 to demonstrate as state executions of two men took place.With more executions feared, the videos show groups of people\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/6U550mm6od\u2014 Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) July 28, 2026Videos shared by Iran International showed residents gathering overnight in hopes of stopping the executions before authorities dispersed the crowd.Messages sent to Iran International from Bandar Abbas, Pardis, Khomein, and other cities described a country grieving but increasingly determined to continue resisting the Islamic Republic. Many said they stayed awake until morning hoping the executions would be called off.\u201cWe wished until sunrise that morning would never come to Isfahan,\u201d one person wrote.\u201cThe people of Isfahan showed that when the next call comes, millions across the country will return to the streets,\u201d one resident of Bandar Abbas said.Another reaction shared by the outlet echoed that sentiment: \u201cDid you think executing our brothers and sisters would make us retreat or become afraid? It has only made us more determined.\u201dThe two men were among 12 defendants sentenced to death in what has become known as the Alikhani Square case, which stems from the January anti-government protests in Isfahan. They are reportedly accused of arson, vandalism, killing four security personnel, and \u201cwaging war on God.\u201dAccording to the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) organization, 62 people were initially arrested in connection with the incident and subjected to months of interrogation, during which rights groups allege many were tortured.\u00a0Ahead of the executions, U.N. experts led by Special Rapporteur Mai Sato urged Iranian authorities to halt the executions and claimed sentencing all 12 defendants to death in a single closed-door proceeding violated internationally recognized fair trial standards. The experts said the convictions relied heavily on televised confessions, while hearings were held behind closed doors and judgments were never made public.\u00a0IHRNGO also alleged that some defendants were tried remotely from prison without lawyers present and that Iranian state television later aired forced confessions as part of a propaganda documentary. The organization also says families of death row prisoners are routinely threatened and coerced into remaining silent about their loved ones\u2019 cases.According to IHRNGO, at least 26 protesters have been executed in connection with the December 2025\u2013January 2026 uprising, including Sepahi and Safari, and more than 70 additional protesters remain at risk of execution in Isfahan\u2019s Dastgerd Central Prison.Even behind prison walls, resistance has continued. Hundreds of death row inmates at Ghezel Hesar Prison near Tehran have joined a mass hunger strike to protest Iran\u2019s escalating use of the death penalty, reported The Guardian. According to Iranian rights groups, at least 1,500 prisoners have participated in the strike, which began after six men convicted on drug-related charges were transferred to solitary confinement ahead of possible executions.\u00a0Videos shared by rights groups show prisoners holding signs reading \u201cNo to Executions\u201d and chanting, \u201cBe our voice.\u201d\u00a0In one video, a prisoner is seen sewing his lips shut after he said prison officials ignored the protest for days.\u00a0According to IHRNGO, at least 424 people have been executed in Iran so far this year. The organization documented 795 executions in 2025, the highest annual total in years.\u00a0While many of those executions involved drug-related offenses, rights groups say the Islamic Republic has increasingly used capital punishment against political dissidents and protesters in the months following the January anti-government uprising, with many convictions allegedly secured through torture and forced confessions.\u00a0Iran Human Rights Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam condemned Tuesday\u2019s hangings, calling public executions \u201ca cruel form of state terror\u201d intended to instill fear and deter future protests.\u00a0\u201cBy resorting once again to the medieval practice of public hangings, the Islamic Republic is trying to instill fear throughout society and deter future protests,\u201d Amiry-Moghaddam said. \u201cPublic executions are a cruel form of state terror that the international community must not tolerate.\u201d\u00a0Amnesty International warned that the international community\u2019s failure to hold Tehran accountable for its crackdown risks emboldening further abuses.\u201cThe international community\u2019s failure to pursue international justice for these serious crimes has emboldened the Iranian authorities to threaten further mass killings by \u2018trigger-ready\u2019 security forces targeting protesters and dissidents they label as \u2018enemies.\u2019\u201d Diana Eltahawy, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blue Route Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-28T23:08:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1760#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1760\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c\"},\"headline\":\"Crowds Tried To Stop The Hangings. 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Iran Carried Them Out Anyway. - Blue Route Journal","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Crowds Tried To Stop The Hangings. Iran Carried Them Out Anyway. - Blue Route Journal","og_description":"Just before dawn on Tuesday, hundreds of Iranians gathered in Isfahan hoping to stop two young men from being hanged. Instead, security forces violently dispersed the crowd and publicly executed 25-year-old Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and 28-year-old Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi.Both men were convicted on charges stemming from clashes that Iranian authorities say resulted in the deaths of four security officers. Human rights groups say the men were sentenced after proceedings marred by allegations of torture, forced confessions, and closed-door trials.\u00a0The executions stem from the nationwide uprising that began in late December after a currency collapse, soaring inflation, and worsening living conditions sparked protests across Iran. Iranian regime forces responded with a sweeping crackdown that included internet shutdowns, mass arrests, and the widespread use of lethal force.\u00a0The executions, which reportedly took place at 3:40 a.m. local time, coinciding with the morning call to prayer, came despite last-minute appeals from United Nations experts, international human rights organizations, and the State Department.Days before the hangings, State Department Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Riley Barnes condemned Iran\u2019s execution campaign, saying the United States stood with \u201cbrave young Iranians who dared to raise their voices\u201d and calling on the regime to release political prisoners and stop executing individuals for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights.President Donald Trump has continued to call out the treatment of protesters and the executions, including last week, when he shared a graphic about the execution of another January protester, 23-year-old Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi.\u00a0\u201cThe latest one of 52,000, plus, innocent protesters. Savages!!! When will the Dumocrats wake up??? Trump posted.Human rights groups have not verified Trump\u2019s figure of 52,000 protesters killed, though Amnesty International and U.N. officials have estimated that several thousand were killed during the regime\u2019s January crackdown. Iran has acknowledged that 3,117 people were killed.Rather than silencing dissent, the executions appeared to galvanize it for the first time since January.Videos posted by Radio Free Europe showed crowds gathering in Isfahan to demonstrate during the executions, with demonstrators chanting \u201cWithout honor!\u201d while security forces maintained a heavy presence.Iranian Demonstrators Protest State Executions In IsfahanVideos posted on social media appeared to show crowds of protesters gathering in Isfahan on July 28 to demonstrate as state executions of two men took place.With more executions feared, the videos show groups of people\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/6U550mm6od\u2014 Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) July 28, 2026Videos shared by Iran International showed residents gathering overnight in hopes of stopping the executions before authorities dispersed the crowd.Messages sent to Iran International from Bandar Abbas, Pardis, Khomein, and other cities described a country grieving but increasingly determined to continue resisting the Islamic Republic. Many said they stayed awake until morning hoping the executions would be called off.\u201cWe wished until sunrise that morning would never come to Isfahan,\u201d one person wrote.\u201cThe people of Isfahan showed that when the next call comes, millions across the country will return to the streets,\u201d one resident of Bandar Abbas said.Another reaction shared by the outlet echoed that sentiment: \u201cDid you think executing our brothers and sisters would make us retreat or become afraid? It has only made us more determined.\u201dThe two men were among 12 defendants sentenced to death in what has become known as the Alikhani Square case, which stems from the January anti-government protests in Isfahan. They are reportedly accused of arson, vandalism, killing four security personnel, and \u201cwaging war on God.\u201dAccording to the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) organization, 62 people were initially arrested in connection with the incident and subjected to months of interrogation, during which rights groups allege many were tortured.\u00a0Ahead of the executions, U.N. experts led by Special Rapporteur Mai Sato urged Iranian authorities to halt the executions and claimed sentencing all 12 defendants to death in a single closed-door proceeding violated internationally recognized fair trial standards. The experts said the convictions relied heavily on televised confessions, while hearings were held behind closed doors and judgments were never made public.\u00a0IHRNGO also alleged that some defendants were tried remotely from prison without lawyers present and that Iranian state television later aired forced confessions as part of a propaganda documentary. The organization also says families of death row prisoners are routinely threatened and coerced into remaining silent about their loved ones\u2019 cases.According to IHRNGO, at least 26 protesters have been executed in connection with the December 2025\u2013January 2026 uprising, including Sepahi and Safari, and more than 70 additional protesters remain at risk of execution in Isfahan\u2019s Dastgerd Central Prison.Even behind prison walls, resistance has continued. Hundreds of death row inmates at Ghezel Hesar Prison near Tehran have joined a mass hunger strike to protest Iran\u2019s escalating use of the death penalty, reported The Guardian. According to Iranian rights groups, at least 1,500 prisoners have participated in the strike, which began after six men convicted on drug-related charges were transferred to solitary confinement ahead of possible executions.\u00a0Videos shared by rights groups show prisoners holding signs reading \u201cNo to Executions\u201d and chanting, \u201cBe our voice.\u201d\u00a0In one video, a prisoner is seen sewing his lips shut after he said prison officials ignored the protest for days.\u00a0According to IHRNGO, at least 424 people have been executed in Iran so far this year. The organization documented 795 executions in 2025, the highest annual total in years.\u00a0While many of those executions involved drug-related offenses, rights groups say the Islamic Republic has increasingly used capital punishment against political dissidents and protesters in the months following the January anti-government uprising, with many convictions allegedly secured through torture and forced confessions.\u00a0Iran Human Rights Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam condemned Tuesday\u2019s hangings, calling public executions \u201ca cruel form of state terror\u201d intended to instill fear and deter future protests.\u00a0\u201cBy resorting once again to the medieval practice of public hangings, the Islamic Republic is trying to instill fear throughout society and deter future protests,\u201d Amiry-Moghaddam said. \u201cPublic executions are a cruel form of state terror that the international community must not tolerate.\u201d\u00a0Amnesty International warned that the international community\u2019s failure to hold Tehran accountable for its crackdown risks emboldening further abuses.\u201cThe international community\u2019s failure to pursue international justice for these serious crimes has emboldened the Iranian authorities to threaten further mass killings by \u2018trigger-ready\u2019 security forces targeting protesters and dissidents they label as \u2018enemies.\u2019\u201d Diana Eltahawy, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said.","og_url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760","og_site_name":"Blue Route Journal","article_published_time":"2026-07-28T23:08:58+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c"},"headline":"Crowds Tried To Stop The Hangings. Iran Carried Them Out Anyway.","datePublished":"2026-07-28T23:08:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760"},"wordCount":1129,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/71fbef7cc0e4f674da1c68746fd514aa.avif","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760","url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1760","name":"Crowds Tried To Stop The Hangings. 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