Iran hangs two young men sentenced as ‘enemy agents’ for January 8 protests

Executions in Iran show no sign of stopping. Early Sunday morning on July 19, Iranian authorities hanged two young men who had been sentenced to death for involvement in the January 8 protests at Alikhani Square in Isfahan.

The victims have been identified as Erfan Esfandiary, 18, and Golmohammad Mohammadi, 23, the latter an Afghan national. According to the judiciary’s announcement, they were found guilty of attacking security forces and damaging public property during the demonstrations.

Iranian state media report that the protesters are accused of serious acts: setting buildings on fire, destroying road signs, security cameras, and traffic lights, damaging checkpoints and police stations, blocking roads, attacking passersby, and vandalizing mosques during the January 8 demonstrations.

According to the official version, participants in the protests – described as “enemy agents” – were armed with firearms, knives, machetes, and Molotov cocktails. During clashes with security forces, it is claimed that four police officers lost their lives.

However, human rights organizations and other sources have expressed serious concerns about the judicial process. According to them, proceedings in Branch One of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court took place over only three hearings, each about one hour. The accused reportedly had limited opportunity to meet with independent lawyers, and some of them were tortured and coerced into confessing under pressure.

In total, 59 people were tried in this case, while 12 of them received the maximum sentence. After the hanging of the two young men, 10 other convicts are awaiting execution and face an immediate threat to their lives.