IRAN - Mohammadreza Majidi and Bita Hemati

IRAN - Three men and one woman sentenced to death under the new espionage law

April 24, 2026:

April 24, 2026 - IRAN. Four January Protesters Including Woman Sentenced to Death Based on New Espionage Bill

Mohammadreza Majidi Asl, Behrouz Zamaninejad, Kourosh Zamaninejad and Bita Hemmati

Mohammadreza Majidi Asl, Bita Hemmati, Behrouz Zamaninejad, and Kourosh Zamaninejad, four protesters arrested in connection with the January 2026 protests, have been sentenced to death based on the newly enacted Espionage Bill. According to information obtained by IHR, at least 30 of the January protesters have been sentenced to death, and hundreds more may be facing charges punishable by the death penalty. Since the resumption of executions on March 18, which had been temporarily halted amid the ongoing conflict, authorities have executed eight January protesters, nine political prisoners affiliated with the opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, and two men charged with espionage for Israel.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, four protesters arrested in relation to the January 2026 protests were sentenced to death by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Mohammadreza Majidi, Bita Hemati, Behrouz Zamaninejad and Kourosh Zamaninejad are the first four defendants convicted of “operational action for the hostile government of the United States and terrorist groups (anti-revolutionary and monarchist)” through “chanting subversive slogans, using explosives, incendiary materials, and cold weapons, injuring hundreds of innocent citizens and security defenders, destroying and setting fire to public property, and throwing cement, concrete blocks, and empty glass bottles from a roof onto the heads of security defenders, which included the specific injury of a stationed Basij member.”

The specific injury of the Basij member (voluntary IRGC forces) was attributed to Bita Hemati. The four protesters have also been sentenced to five years' imprisonment on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security”, as well as the confiscation of all their assets. Bita’s brother, Amir Hemati, who is the fifth defendant in the case, was sentenced to five years and eight months' imprisonment for “propaganda activities.”

On 15 January, state media aired Bita’s forced confessions in the presence of Mohseni Ejei, Iran’s Head of Judiciary. In the video, she “confesses” to throwing a concrete block at one of the security forces on her own, and throwing the other blocks down with her partner and brother.

The five defendants were reportedly arrested on 9 January. Mohammadreza and Bita are a couple, and brothers Behrouz and Kourosh were reportedly their neighbours.

It is not clear when the sentence was issued or where the defendants are currently being held.

The death sentences handed down to the four protesters are based on Article 1 of the newly enacted 2025 ‘Law on Intensifying the Punishment for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime and Hostile States against National Security and Interests.’ Under this legislation, any “operational action” deemed to be carried out on behalf of hostile states, which explicitly includes the United States, carries a mandatory death penalty and the total confiscation of assets. Note 3 of the article defines operational action as any act capable of causing destruction, creating public fear, or leading to loss of life. By applying this broad definition to the defendants' alleged actions during the protests, the court bypassed lesser discretionary sentences to automatically enforce the maximum capital punishment.

https://iranhr.net/en/articles/8709/