Iran executes man accused of armed attacks during US-Israeli strikes
Iran hanged 38-year-old political prisoner Ali-Sina Mostafavi in the south-eastern city of Kerman on Wednesday over alleged shootings of civilians. It is the second execution this week, and Amnesty International is urging international pressure on Tehran to stop them.
Iran on Wednesday, 14 October, executed political prisoner Ali-Sina Mostafavi, 38, in the city of Kerman. Mizan, the official news agency of Iran's judiciary, said he was convicted of carrying out armed attacks during what the judiciary describes as joint US-Israeli military operations on Iranian soil. It is the second execution in Iran this week, and human rights groups see such cases as part of a wider pattern of repression.
The accusations
Mizan said Mostafavi opened fire on civilians in Kerman's Azadi Square on 24 March, wounding one person and a young girl. On 21 April he allegedly fired on conscript soldiers and passing vehicles, injuring more civilians. The judiciary also accused him of taking part in protests in December 2025 and January 2026, which the authorities call the "Dey protests" and describe as a coup attempt, and of sending footage to Persian-language media based outside Iran.
According to the judiciary, items seized from him included a Brno rifle with a telescopic sight, two shotguns, 246 rounds of ammunition and 30 Molotov cocktails. He faced the charge of moharebeh, or "enmity against God", which covers taking up arms against people's lives, property or honour in a way that creates insecurity. Tehran has used the charge for decades against opponents, critics and protesters.
Mostafavi was said to be from the city of Bam, played the tar and had made a solo ascent of Island Peak in the Himalayas. He was held in Shahab prison in Kerman, moved to solitary confinement in his final days, and his family was summoned for a last visit. Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran's last shah, wrote on X that he was "a patriotic young man" condemned after confessions extracted under torture.
Second execution this week
Two days earlier, Mizan confirmed the execution of Omar Dorastaran, 25, described by the judiciary as a member of the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl. He was accused of helping members enter Iran and supporting attacks on Revolutionary Guards forces in Sistan and Baluchistan province. Human rights organisations and the local outlet Halvash say he was arrested without a warrant, held for a long time without visits or calls, and that agents sought to extract confessions through torture.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International condemned the execution of five men within one week in cases linked to the January protests and called for coordinated international pressure on Tehran. According to Amnesty, Iran executed at least 2,159 people in 2025.
