Alireza Sepahi was arrested following Iran’s January protests. He survived a public execution in July after suffering a heart attack and married his fiancée on the eve of his death.
However, on the morning of October 5, the 25-year-old’s worst fears were realized when he was hanged in Isfahan.
He had married his partner, Mahshad Kashani, 22, who was also detained over the protests, in a telephone ceremony conducted by their lawyer the night before the execution, according to multiple rights groups.
Sepahi was executed at Isfahan’s central prison alongside 21-year-old Alireza Raissi, both convicted for protests at Isfahan’s Alikhani Square on January 8, where authorities claim four police officers were killed.
The judiciary’s Mizan agency stated they were convicted of membership in an armed group and endangering national security.
Iran has executed 34 people in connection with the protests, which peaked on January 8-9, according to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO.
Rights groups report that the demonstrations were suppressed through a crackdown that killed thousands, alongside an internet blackout.
– ‘Every day in fear of execution’ –
Sepahi was arrested on January 10, days after the alleged incident, alongside his mother, who remains imprisoned serving a five-year sentence.
His case was plagued by “serious procedural flaws,” including the “disregard for defence evidence” such as footage proving he was not present at the scene, according to the US-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center.
A dozen individuals, including Sepahi, were initially sentenced to death.
Two men were executed on July 19, while Sepahi was originally scheduled for public hanging on July 28 in Alikhani Square alongside two others, including his cousin Abolfazl, as reported by IHR.
“However, shortly before the scheduled execution, he suffered a heart attack and was transferred to a hospital,” stated Mai Sato, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran.
The public execution of the other two men proceeded.
“He was discharged days later and returned to prison, living in constant fear of execution until the moment arrived,” she added.
– ‘Married in absentia’ –
The Isfahan Revolutionary Court dismissed his appeal, and relatives were called for a final meeting. Sepahi had one final plan.
His lawyer arranged an audio call with Kashani, who is held in a different Isfahan prison, to recite religious marriage vows before his death, with both fathers giving permission.
When asked by the lawyer if he could proceed with the marriage—dowry consisting of “one copy of the holy Koran, one piece of rock candy and a red rose”—both parents replied “yes,” according to an audio recording shared by rights groups including IHR.
Prison officials denied the couple permission to meet in person for the final time.
“The lawyers hoped the marriage might delay the execution, but authorities claimed the fiancée was unrelated to the prisoner and prevented an in-person ceremony,” said Roya Boroumand, co-founder of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center.
“They were married in absentia. A legal act occurred, but it did not take place inside the prison with both individuals present,” she added.
Sato noted that even after his execution, “for his family the horror continued,” as his body was not returned for burial in Isfahan but transferred to Kashan, approximately 200 kilometers away.
