Iran Prepares to Execute First Female Protester from January Uprising
According to several human rights organizations, Iran is poised to execute its first female protester linked to the January 2026 uprising in Tehran. Bita Hemmati, along with her husband, Mohammadreza Majid-Asl, 34, has been sentenced to death alongside two neighbors, Behrouz and Kourosh Zamaninejad. A relative, Amir Hemmati, received a five-year prison sentence.
These sentences come amid a significant government crackdown on dissent. Reports suggest that thousands of protesters may have lost their lives since demonstrations began earlier this year.
A source informed the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) that the defendants—Hemmati and Majid-Asl—were residents of Tehran, while the Zamaninejad siblings shared their building. Specific dates for the executions have not yet been disclosed.
The Tehran Revolutionary Court accused the group of various offenses, including actions perceived as threatening national security that involved engagement with what the government terms the “hostile government of the United States.” During protests on January 8 and 9, they allegedly used explosives, thrown objects, and even injured security personnel while promoting anti-regime propaganda.
Alongside death sentences, the court mandated five years of discretionary imprisonment and ordered the seizure of personal assets. Amir Hemmati was specifically convicted of “assembly and collusion against national security.”
Human rights activists have raised flags over potential coercion in obtaining confessions, citing allegations of torture during interrogations.
Groups advocating for human rights stress that the lack of concrete evidence ties to the alleged crimes, suggesting that the regime aims to instill fear among the populace to thwart future unrest.
Widespread protests erupted in Tehran in late December 2025, driven by an economic crisis characterized by a plunging currency and rampant inflation. This unrest escalated into substantial anti-government demonstrations spreading across numerous cities.
In response to these developments, the United States launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, executing large-scale airstrikes alongside Israel that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
