Iran executes three men convicted over January 2026 anti-government protests

Iranian authorities executed Hassan Divband, Hamid Kazemi, and Reza Zanganeh on November 8, 2026, following Supreme Court confirmation of their death sentences. Convicted of damaging infrastructure and orchestrating armed unrest in Karaj during the January 2026 protests, the men were accused of acting on behalf of the United States and Israel. Human rights groups express growing international concern over escalating executions in Iran.

Sentences in the Karaj unrest case

• ▪Iranian judicial authorities executed Hassan Divband, Hamid Kazemi, and Reza Zanganeh on November 8, 2026, after Iran's Supreme Court upheld their death sentences
• ▪Iranian courts sentenced eight co-defendants in the Karaj unrest case to prison terms ranging from five to ten years
• ▪Iranian judicial authorities ordered the confiscation of property belonging to Hassan Divband, Hamid Kazemi, and Reza Zanganeh following their convictions

Allegations against the executed men

• ▪Iranian judicial authorities accused Hassan Divband, Hamid Kazemi, and Reza Zanganeh of damaging an electrical substation, setting fire to public facilities, and using Molotov cocktails in Karaj
• ▪Iranian state media alleged Hassan Divband, Hamid Kazemi, and Reza Zanganeh conducted operational activities on behalf of Israel, the United States, and exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi

Context of the January 2026 protests

• ▪The Iranian protest movement originated in late December 2025 over economic high costs of living before escalating into anti-government demonstrations on January 8 and 9, 2026
• ▪Iranian authorities reported that over 3,000 people died during the January 2026 nationwide demonstrations, attributing the violence to Israeli and American actions

Human Rights reports on executions

• ▪Norway-based Iran Human Rights reported documenting at least 691 executions across Iran during the first ten months of 2026
• ▪Human Rights Watch and the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center reported examining 29 executions linked to the January 2026 protests between March and August 2026