Shahin Vahedparast
Iranian protester executed alongside Mohammadamin Biglari in April 2026 for the January 2026 uprising.
Last refreshed: 5 April 2026
Is Iran using wartime cover to accelerate executions of dissidents?
Latest on Shahin Vahedparast
- Why was Shahin Vahedparast executed in Iran?
- He was convicted of moharebeh (enmity against God) for allegedly attempting to storm a Basij military base during the January 2026 Tehran protests. Human rights organisations say his conviction relied on confessions extracted under torture in a trial lasting only a few hours.Source: Amnesty International, HRANA
- What torture did Vahedparast face in Iranian detention?
- He reported beatings, floggings, prolonged solitary confinement, and death threats at gunpoint. Amnesty International documented these abuses as part of a broader pattern of ill-treatment of protesters held in pre-trial detention in early 2026.Source: Amnesty International
- Who else was executed alongside Vahedparast?
- Mohammadamin Biglari was executed at the same time on 5 April 2026 at Ghezel Hesar Prison. Both were convicted in the same case. Two co-defendants from their group of four remain on death row.Source: HRANA, The National
- How many executions has Iran carried out in 2026?
- Iran recorded at least 657 executions in the first three months of 2026, putting it on course to exceed the previous year's record. Rights groups say the pace has accelerated under wartime conditions since the conflict with the United States and Israel began.Source: Iran Human Rights Society
Background
Shahin Vahedparast Kolour was arrested on 7 January 2026 in the Nazemabad neighbourhood of Tehran during the nationwide protests that erupted across Iran amid its war with the United States and Israel. He was accused of participating in an attempt to storm Basij base 185 Namjou and access its armoury. His death sentence was issued on 9 February 2026 by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran under charges of moharebeh (enmity against God) and corruption on earth, presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati. He was executed at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Alborz province on 5 April 2026, alongside Mohammadamin Biglari.
Vahedparast reported being subjected to beatings, floggings, prolonged solitary confinement, and death threats at gunpoint during detention. He was denied access to a lawyer during interrogations, and his conviction rested on confessions that he and his representatives said were extracted under torture. The trial, presided over by a judge known for handing down severe sentences to political prisoners, lasted only a few hours. Amnesty International called the proceedings grossly unfair and documented the case as part of a broader pattern of expedited executions of protesters linked to the January 2026 uprising. Two co-defendants from the same group of four remain on death row.
His execution was the third in 48 hours connected to the January 2026 protests, following the hanging of 18-year-old Amirhossein Hatami on 3 April. Rights groups and analysts say Iran is deploying the death penalty under wartime conditions to suppress political dissent with reduced international visibility: at least 11 men faced imminent execution on protest-related charges as of early April 2026, and Iran recorded 657 executions in the first three months of 2026 alone, putting it on course for a record annual total.