Ghaem Hosseini, who was arrested during the nationwide January protests and was one of those sentenced in the so-called “Alikhani Square” case, was executed at dawn on Thursday, August 20, at Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan.
The state-run Mehr News Agency, citing the Judiciary’s Media Center, announced the execution of Ghaem Hosseini. The execution took place despite previous warnings from United Nations experts about widespread violations of fair trial guarantees in the Alikhani Square case, who had called for the death sentences against all 12 defendants in the case to be overturned.
UN Fact-Finding Mission Urges Immediate Halt to Executions in Iran’s Alikhani Square Case
With Hosseini’s execution, the number of people executed in the Alikhani Square case has reached at least five, while seven other defendants remain at risk of execution.
Ghaem Hosseini’s Execution at Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan
Ghaem Hosseini was among those arrested in connection with the January protests in Isfahan. His name was included on the list of 12 defendants who were sentenced to death in the Alikhani Square case.
On July 28, it was reported that Hosseini’s family, along with the families of Amirhossein Maleki and Ali Dashti, had been summoned to the prison for a final visit. Despite protests by the families and warnings from human rights organizations, his execution was carried out at dawn on Thursday at Dastgerd Prison.
What Is the Alikhani Square Case?
The so-called Alikhani Square case is related to the protests that took place on January 8, 2026, in Isfahan. According to state media accounts, four members of the Basij militia were killed during the clashes that day. Following the events, security forces arrested at least 59 people.
According to published information, 12 defendants in the case were sentenced to death. Another 23 people received prison sentences ranging from five to 10 years, despite reports indicating that they had no direct role in the deaths of the four individuals.
Erfan Esfandiari and Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi were executed on July 19, 2026, while Abolfazl Sepahi and Amirhossein Safari were executed on July 28, 2026.
According to the published list of 12 defendants, after these five executions, Alireza Sepahi, Shervin Bagherian Jabali, Amirhossein Maleki, Ali Dashti, Abolfazl Ebrahimi, Alireza Raisi, and Amirhossein Ebrahimi Analoucheh remain under death sentences.
Informed sources say the defendants were denied the right to choose independent legal counsel during the initial trial stage and were tried with court-appointed lawyers. It has also been reported that the lawyers did not have full access to the complete contents of the case files.
