Iran Sentences Female Protester to Death Amidst Crackdown on Unrest

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:36:00 +0200

Iran is poised to execute Bita Hemmati, marking the country’s first execution of a female protester linked to the widespread January 2026 uprising in Tehran. Hemmati, along with her husband Mohammadreza Majid-Asl and two neighbors, Kourosh and Behrouz Zamaninejad, received death sentences, while another relative, Amir Hemmati, was sentenced to five years in prison. The charges stem from alleged offenses including national security disruption and participation in anti-government protests, according to the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Authorities claim the defendants used explosives, weapons, and incendiary devices, and engaged in propaganda against the regime. Human rights groups express concern regarding the potential coercion of confessions and lack of concrete evidence linking the accused to the crimes. This execution comes as part of a broader crackdown on dissent following the protests that erupted in December 2025, triggered by an economic crisis and escalating into wider anti-gove