Iran Prepares to Execute First Female Protestor and Husband Amidst Crackdown

Iran is moving forward with the execution of its first female protester and her husband, a move that comes as part of the nation's intensified response to those involved in recent demonstrations. This development follows the execution of seven individuals already connected to the protests, which were reportedly suppressed with significant casualties and widespread arrests.

A Tehran Revolutionary Court, under the direction of Judge Imam Afshari, has issued death sentences for four additional individuals on April 14. These individuals have been identified as Bita Hemmati and her husband, Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl. Two other men, Behrouz Zamaninejad and Kourosh Zamaninejad, residing in the same Tehran building as the couple, also received death sentences.

Bita Hemmati is thought to be the first woman to receive a death sentence in connection with the ongoing protests. The four individuals were convicted by the court of conducting activities on behalf of the United States, according to separate statements from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) and the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center.

Prosecutors accused the group of throwing concrete blocks from their residential building at security forces in the capital. The Abdorrahman Boroumand Center also indicated that Hemmati was likely the woman featured in a state television broadcast in January, where she was interrogated by judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei. The center criticized the broadcast of forced confessions as a clear violation of defendants' rights.

Human rights organizations contend that the Islamic Republic utilizes the death penalty as a method of suppression to instill fear. There are concerns that capital punishment may be escalated in light of current international conflicts involving Israel and the United States. A joint annual report from Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) revealed that at least 1,639 people were executed in Iran during 2025, including 48 women.

The report further noted that 21 women were executed for the alleged murder of their husbands or fiancés, with rights groups often highlighting that women facing such charges may have been victims of abusive relationships. This figure represents a 68 percent increase from the 975 executions recorded in 2024. The average number of daily executions exceeded four throughout the year.

According to the report, the total number of executions is the highest recorded by IHR since it began tracking the data in 2008 and marks the highest figure reported since 1989, during the early years of the Islamic revolution.