Overview
- Alireza Sepahi, 25, was executed at Isfahan Central Prison hours after marrying his fiancée by phone in a ceremony arranged by human rights lawyer Amirsalar Davoudi.
- The short call connected Sepahi and Mahshad Keshani with their fathers and had Davoudi read vows, and Keshani remains in custody serving a reported five‑year sentence.
- Hours after the Monday wedding on Oct. 5, Sepahi was hanged alongside co‑defendant Alireza Raisi following the rejection of his appeals and placement in pre‑execution solitary confinement.
- Human rights groups including Iran Human Rights, Human Rights Watch and the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center say the Alikhani Square prosecutions relied on torture‑extracted confessions, rushed revolutionary‑court procedures and therefore amounted to unfair trials.
- Family members say authorities barred burial in Sepahi’s hometown and moved his body to another city, and rights groups warn the executions will increase pressure for diplomatic measures, independent probes and wider scrutiny of Iran’s post‑January crackdown.