Overview
- Iranian authorities announced the executions of Erfan Esfandiari, 18, and Gol‑Mohammad Mohammadi, 23, who were convicted in connection with the January protests and accused of sheltering demonstrators.
- Human rights groups say the defendants faced rushed, unfair trials with no access to independent lawyers and that the charges were likely fabricated.
- The Iranian rights group Hengaw says 10 other men tried in the same Shahid Alikhani Square case were moved into solitary or quarantine at Dastgerd Prison, a step observers say commonly precedes executions and places them at immediate risk.
- NGOs report a broader rise in politically motivated executions since late winter, and they say Iranian authorities have used declared wartime conditions after regional strikes to fast‑track capital cases.
- President Trump publicly condemned the hangings and amplified activists' posts while human rights organizations called on international governments, including the EU, to press Tehran to halt executions and protect detainees.