Iran Set to Execute First Female Protester Amid Expanding Crackdown

​TEHRAN — Iranian authorities are preparing to carry out the first known execution of a female protester linked to the recent wave of civil unrest, a move rights groups describe as a “criminal” escalation intended to stifle lingering dissent.

​Bita Hemmati is the first woman scheduled for execution in connection with the nationwide demonstrations that erupted in January 2026. The uprising, which began as local strikes by merchants before spreading rapidly to Tehran and other major cities, was met with a lethal response by state security forces.

​According to a statement released Tuesday by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Hemmati was sentenced alongside her husband, Mohammadreza Majidi Asl, 34, and two other men, Behrouz and Kourosh Zamaninezhad. All four were convicted by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, a tribunal presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, who has a notorious reputation for handing down severe sentences in political cases.

​A Pattern of Escalation

​The judiciary’s charges against Hemmati and her co-defendants include:

• ​The use of explosives and weapons.

• ​Assaulting security forces with concrete blocks and incendiary materials.

• ​Destruction of public property and disrupting national security.

• ​Collaboration with “hostile groups” and disseminating anti-regime content.

​Human rights advocates, including the Center for Human Rights in Iran, have dismissed these allegations as “torture-tainted,” noting that the defendants were denied access to independent counsel during what they described as “fast-tracked, grossly unfair” trials. In addition to the death penalty, the court ordered the total confiscation of the defendants’ property.

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​The Global Toll

​The planned execution comes as the Islamic Republic dramatically increases its use of capital punishment. Monitoring groups, including Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Together Against the Death Penalty, report that at least 1,639 people were executed in 2025—a 68% surge compared to the previous year.

​As of April 2026, the average number of executions has climbed to more than four per day. Hemmati is reportedly one of roughly 1,600 individuals currently facing death sentences as the regime attempts to secure its grip following the January “volcano of public anger.”

​The NCRI has issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations and international human rights bodies to intervene, warning that the execution of Hemmati would mark a dark milestone in the state’s campaign against the women-led protest movement.