31/05/2026
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31/05/2026
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TEHRAN, May 31: Two Iranian protesters, identified as Ashkan Maleki and Mehrdad Mohammadinia, are reportedly at imminent risk of execution after being arrested during Iran’s national uprising in January 2026, according to information obtained by Iran International.
Sources familiar with the case said both men could face enforcement of their death sentences within days, raising renewed concerns among human rights advocates over the use of capital punishment against individuals detained in connection with anti-government protests. Details regarding the timing and circumstances of the possible executions remain unclear.
In a separate development, Iranian authorities have sentenced Masoud Payahoo, the man behind a widely circulated protest video showing a lone demonstrator seated in front of security forces during the same wave of unrest, to 10 years in prison on charges of alleged cooperation with Israel, according to the Tehran-based Emtedad news website.
Payahoo’s lawyer, Hassan Aghakhani, said the video was recorded spontaneously and was not intended for public distribution, adding that it was shared privately with a limited group of friends via Instagram. He added that the Supreme Court’s Branch 9 has upheld the sentence and referred the case for enforcement, requiring Payahoo to report to prison.