Iran executes man detained during January protests for allegedly firing at police

Iran executed Siavash Jamshidi on October 3, 2026, after convicting him of firing a military-grade weapon at police during anti-government protests in January 2026. The demonstrations, which began in December 2025 over economic hardship, resulted in over 3,000 deaths. Tehran blamed the unrest on U.S. and Israeli operatives, while human rights groups reported that security forces fired on protesters. The execution comes amid a broader surge in Iranian executions following a joint U.S.-Israeli military strike in February 2026.

Case and execution of Siavash Jamshidi

• ▪Iran executed Siavash Jamshidi, also identified as Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi, on October 3, 2026, following his conviction on charges including firing a weapon at police officers during anti-government protests
• ▪The Iranian judiciary accused Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi of contacting people online to organize "anti-security" activities and seeking payment for a "mission" from unidentified backers
• ▪Siavash Jamshidi was convicted of moharebeh, meaning "waging war against God", conspiracy, and collusion against national security, alongside non-protest offenses including fraud, theft, and complicity in kidnapping
• ▪The Iranian judiciary stated Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi fired at least three shots at police on January 8, 2026, and was arrested two days later with a handgun in Shahrekord in southwestern Iran

The 2025–2026 anti-government protests

• ▪The Iranian demonstrations that began in December 2025 peaked on January 8 and 9, 2026, with the Iranian authorities reporting more than 3,000 deaths during the unrest
• ▪Anti-government protests erupted in Iran on December 28, 2025, over economic hardship and living costs, swelling into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule
• ▪Foreign-based non-governmental organizations maintain that Iranian security forces fired on protesters during the January 2026 demonstrations

Alleged foreign involvement in the unrest

• ▪Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu acknowledged during Iran's January 2026 anti-government protests that Israel had operatives inside Iran aiming to weaken Iranian capabilities, though he denied they worked to topple the Iranian leadership
• ▪Iran blamed armed groups and operatives backed by the United States and Israel for orchestrating and participating in the violence during the January 2026 protests

Increase in executions

• ▪Arrests and executions have multiplied in Iran following a joint military attack by the United States and Israel in late February 2026, which triggered a war in the Middle East
• ▪Iranian authorities stepped up executions of convicts linked to the January 2026 unrest following the mass demonstrations that peaked in January 2026

Execution trends in Iran

• ▪Iran executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, marking the highest annual execution count in the country since 1989, according to Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty
• ▪Amnesty International reports that Iran carries out more executions than any country in the world except China

Debatable claims

• ▪Iran is using the Middle East war as a pretext to execute domestic dissidents
• ▪Iran's use of moharebeh charges to execute protesters is an abuse of justice