00:00According to a U.S.-based human rights group, Iranian authorities have executed another 19-year-old man.
00:07The execution, which took place on the morning of Blank Date Redacted, early January, at a prison in Semnon province,
00:14was carried out following protests that occurred in late December and early January.
00:19The executed individual has been identified as Avin Kahan.
00:24Citing the human rights activist's news agency, HRANA, and sources close to the family,
00:30the rights group reported that the execution was carried out by the Revolutionary Court.
00:34Kahan was convicted of enmity against God, Mohorebe, a charge frequently used against political prisoners and protesters.
00:43The group noted that the verdict was upheld during the appeals process, including by Iran's Supreme Court.
00:50Kahan had been held in solitary confinement since July 29th, prior to his execution.
00:56Family members and supporters had gathered on December 31st and continued their efforts to halt the sentence until the day
01:03of the execution,
01:04but their pleas were unsuccessful.
01:07According to the family, Kahan's final message was a call not to forget him,
01:12stating that he had stood up to liberate his homeland and that the path they had chosen should not be
01:17silenced.
01:18The human rights group also reported that authorities had not yet returned Kahan's body to his family as of the
01:24time of the report.
01:25The family was reportedly instructed to collect the body on the morning of August 2nd and hold a funeral at
01:315 a.m.
01:32At just 19 years old, Kahan was executed without clear details regarding the circumstances of his arrest.
01:40Questions have been raised about whether he had access to legal counsel during the pretrial and trial proceedings.
01:46Iranian judicial authorities have not commented on these reports or questions surrounding the execution.
01:53Kahan was among numerous individuals who have been sentenced to death in connection with the protests that began on December
01:5928th.
02:00These nationwide demonstrations saw significant participation from students and triggered a severe crackdown by security forces.
02:08The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, supported by the UN,
02:13has documented that Iranian authorities have continued to carry out executions in connection with the protests.
02:19According to the mission, at least 23 individuals have been sentenced to death since March on charges related to the
02:26demonstrations,
02:27with additional people awaiting similar verdicts.
02:30Furthermore, the UN has reported that over 60 people were executed in December alone.
02:36In a separate but related case, the UN noted the execution of an 18-year-old Afghan national,
02:42Gullah Mahdi, who had been living in Iran for 23 years, in connection with protests in Isfahan.
02:48Amnesty International has released a separate report stating that 26 individuals were arbitrarily executed for protest-related offenses in January
02:572026,
02:58following what it described as grossly unfair trials by the revolutionary courts.
03:03Samira Haidari, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa,
03:08stated that the Iranian authorities are unleashing a wave of executions to punish and suppress dissent,
03:14and to project authoritarian control following recent popular uprisings and military strikes.
03:20Amnesty also reported that thousands of people have been arrested in connection with the January 2026 protests.
03:27Families are often not informed of impending executions,
03:31and many are too afraid to speak out for fear of reprisals.
03:34The organization believes that many protesters remain at risk of death sentences.
03:39According to the Iran Human Rights Organization, IHR-NGO,
03:44at least 430 individuals, including 12 women, have been executed in Iran in 2026 so far.
03:51This has led to widespread discontent,
03:54with prisoners reportedly engaging in hunger strikes to protest the ongoing executions.
03:59Iranian writers, filmmakers, and cultural figures have also joined international protests,
04:04using hashtags such as hashtag don't execute on social media.
04:09Prominent Iranian author Hossein Sanapur criticized the state's actions,
04:14describing the judicial process as opaque,
04:17and arguing that the authorities are attempting to crush public will.
04:21He warned that the executions are sowing despair and hardship.
04:25Similarly, Director Karim Sadegi condemned the executions,
04:29particularly during a time of economic crisis,
04:32stating that the news of executions further undermines hope and joy.
04:37The Norwegian-based Iran Human Rights, IHR group,
04:41also criticized the public nature of some executions.
04:44Its director, Mahmoud Amiri Mogadam,
04:47noted that while public executions have been abolished in almost all countries,
04:51Iran employs them to spread fear and deter future protests.
04:55He pointed to the resurgence of the hashtag don't execute campaign on social media,
04:59originally seen in 2020, as evidence of growing public opposition.
05:04The U.S. State Department has also strongly condemned Iran's actions.
05:09Undersecretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor,
05:13Uzrazea, called on Tehran to release political prisoners and respect fundamental human rights.
05:19She condemned the execution of courageous youth and stated that the world is watching,
05:24adding that the U.S. stands with the Iranian people in demanding an end to these executions
05:29and the release of political prisoners.
05:32This latest wave of executions follows the severe crackdown by Iranian authorities
05:36on protests in December and January, triggered by the country's economic crisis.
05:41The situation continues to be closely monitored by international organizations.
05:45The situation continues to be LGBT and nuclear crisis on criminal protest,
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