Iran is preparing to execute its first female protester connected to the January 2026 uprising in Tehran, according to multiple human rights organizations tracking the government's escalating crackdown on dissent.
Bita Hemmati was named in a collective death sentence alongside three other defendants, including her husband, Mohammadreza Majid-Asl, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran and the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Their reported neighbors, Behrouz Zamaninejad and Kourosh Zamaninejad, were also sentenced to death, while a relative, Amir Hemmati, received five years in prison. No execution date has been announced.
The Tehran Revolutionary Court accused the defendants of national security disruption, alleging they used explosives, threw concrete blocks and incendiary materials from rooftops, and engaged in "propaganda against the regime" during protests on January 8 and 9. The court also ordered the seizure of their personal assets.
Human rights activists have raised serious concerns about the proceedings, as Fox News reported. Organizations monitoring the case allege the defendants' confessions may have been obtained through torture and interrogation. They also claim a lack of specific evidence linking the accused to the alleged crimes, arguing that Tehran is seeking to intimidate the public and prevent future civilian unrest.
The verdicts represent some of the most severe capital punishment decisions since widespread protests erupted in late December 2025 amid a deepening economic crisis marked by a collapsing currency and soaring inflation. What began as demonstrations in Tehran quickly escalated into broader anti-government unrest that spread across multiple cities, with possibly thousands of protesters reportedly killed in the ensuing crackdown.
The case has drawn international attention at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States, with Washington having launched Operation Epic Fury in late February 2026 alongside Israel. The executions, if carried out, would mark a significant escalation in Iran's use of the death penalty against those involved in the uprising.
