KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Iranian authorities executed an Afghan man on Thursday over his alleged involvement in protests in the central city of Isfahan earlier this year, according to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights and Iran’s judiciary-affiliated media.
The man, identified as 20-year-old Ghaem Hosseini, was executed at Isfahan Central Prison on August 20 after being arrested in connection with the unrest that broke out in January, Hengaw reported.
Hengaw said Hosseini was accused of participating in events at Alikhani Square in Isfahan on January 8, during which four members of the Special Unit were killed. Authorities also alleged that he damaged the body of one of the officers and took part in setting fire to a charity centre.
Iran’s Mizan News Agency, the judiciary’s media outlet, confirmed the execution. It said Hosseini had been sentenced to death on charges including “waging war against God,” “corruption on earth,” acting against national security and destruction of public property.
Iranian authorities have previously used charges such as moharebeh (waging war against God) and efsad fil-arz (corruption on earth) in cases involving protesters and other security-related offenses. The charges can carry the death penalty under Iranian law.
Hosseini was the maternal cousin of Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, a 23-year-old Afghan national who was executed last month along with three other people in connection with the same case, according to Hengaw.
Iran remains one of the world’s top users of capital punishment, applying the death penalty for a wide range of offences that include murder, drug trafficking, participation in protests and certain security-related crimes.
Hengaw documented at least 1,858 executions across Iranian prisons in 2025, including 85 Afghan nationals. The figure marked a sharp rise compared with previous years.
Iran is home to one of the world’s largest Afghan populations outside Afghanistan, with millions of migrants and refugees who have fled decades of conflict and economic hardship. Human rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns over Iran’s treatment of foreign nationals, particularly Afghans, pointing to concerns over fair trial standards, limited access to lawyers and a lack of transparency.
The United Nations and international rights groups, including Amnesty International, have long urged Iranian authorities to halt executions. They argue that the practice violates the right to life and that many trials fall short of international fair trial standards.
