Three Protesters Face Imminent Execution in Iran Amid Regional Turmoil

TEHRAN — Human rights organizations have issued an urgent global appeal as three young men, Ashkan Maleki, Arman Marefati, and Mehrdad Mohammadinia, face imminent execution in the Islamic Republic.

​The trio was arrested during the nationwide uprising that erupted in January 2026, a movement that saw millions of Iranians take to the streets demanding fundamental political change. Following what international observers have labeled “sham trials” and reports of confessions extracted under severe physical and psychological torture, the men have been moved into the final stages of the judicial execution pipeline.

​A Deadly Surge in State Killings

​The threat to these three lives comes amidst a staggering escalation of capital punishment in Iran. Since the outbreak of the regional war in late February, the Iranian judiciary has significantly ramped up the pace of executions. In the last 18 days alone, at least 13 political prisoners have been put to death—nearly matching the total for the entire previous year.

​Rights groups, including Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights (IHR), argue that the regime is using the cover of regional conflict to eliminate domestic dissent.

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​”These executions are part of a strategy of survival—waging war against its own people under the shadow of external conflict,” said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of IHR.

​The Case of the “January Three”

​According to family members and leaked reports from within the prison system, the case against Maleki, Marefati, and Mohammadinia is built on thin evidence and coerced statements.

• ​Detention: Arrested in the wake of the January 8 escalation.
• ​Due Process: Denied access to independent legal counsel and subjected to “expedited” proceedings.

• ​Status: Currently held in high-security wings, with fears that their sentences could be carried out in secret, as has been the case with several other protesters in recent weeks.

​International Outcry

​The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, recently warned of a “deepening clampdown” across the country, noting that dozens of others—including minors—remain on death row. The situation is further complicated by a nationwide internet blackout, now entering its fifth week, which has made it increasingly difficult for activists to document abuses.

​As the “January Three” await their fate, the international community faces growing pressure to intervene. For many in Iran, these executions are seen not as legal punishments, but as a desperate attempt by the state to paralyze the will of a generation that has refused to remain silent.