Hangings in public squares don't crush dissent anymore. They pour gasoline on an already burning fire. When Iranian authorities strung up Amir Hossein Safari and Abolfazl Sepahi in Isfahan's Alikhani Square, they thought they were sending a terrifying message. Instead, they triggered immediate street clashes and a wave of defiance that swept far beyond central Iran.
If you look past state-run media narratives, you'll see a regime terrified of its own shadow. The public executions tied to the January 2026 uprising aren't signs of strength. They're panic disguised as law enforcement.
The Reality Behind the Alikhani Square Case
The official judiciary line claims these men were violent insurgents. State media outlets like Mizan Online framed the accused as ruthless attackers who targeted security forces during the January 8 unrest.
Human rights organizations and independent monitors paint a completely different picture. Amnesty International and local groups note that defendants like Safari and Sepahi went through grossly unfair mass trials behind closed doors. Confessions extracted under severe physical and psychological torture formed the core of the state's case. Independent legal counsel? Denied. Proper evidentiary standards? Ignored.
Yet, the state chose public hangings for a strategic reason. They wanted crowds to watch. They wanted fear to paralyze the neighborhoods that rose up earlier in the year.
It backfired instantly.
Instead of staying home out of terror, residents in Isfahan stayed awake through the night. They gathered near the execution sites under heavy security blankets. When dawn broke and the hangings took place, the grief rapidly morphed into furious chants and street skirmishes with security forces.
Why the Crackdown is Accelerating Now
The timing of these executions isn't random. Since geopolitical hostilities and regional strikes flared up earlier in the year, Tehran has intensified its domestic campaign. The judiciary relies heavily on sweeping national security charges like moharebeh (enmity against God) and corruption on earth.
These catch-all charges carry automatic death sentences. They require very little proof beyond what the Revolutionary Courts decide to accept.
At least twenty-two people linked to the January protests have been executed over the past five months. Dozens more sit on death row, including individuals who were minors at the time of their arrest. Families receive grim final summonses with little to no warning, turning private grief into public spectacles designed to terrorize local communities.
The Shift in Public Psychology
Decades ago, public executions in Iran served as effective deterrents through sheer shock value. People looked away, lowered their voices, and retreated into private life.
That social contract is completely broken.
When young men like Erfan Esfandiari, Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi, Safari, and Sepahi are sent to the gallows, ordinary citizens don't see criminals. They see peers, neighbors, and symbols of a stolen future. Messages of defiance have poured out from cities like Bandar Abbas, Pardis, and Khomein. People are openly stating that the hangings haven't made them retreat; they've made them angrier.
The regime is trapped in a vicious cycle. The more people protest economic collapse and political repression, the more executions the state orders. The more executions the state orders, the deeper the hatred grows.
Watch the upcoming court rulings closely. With over sixty other protesters still facing imminent capital sentences, the state's next moves will test whether absolute terror can still rule a population that has already lost its fear.
Iran, massacre under a blackout • FRANCE 24 English
This video provides important background context on the origins and timeline of the anti-regime protests that erupted in Iran.
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