Iran executes two men over January Mashhad unrest, sentences confirmed by Supreme Court

Iran's judiciary executed Ali Hemmati and Majid Nikandish on Wednesday morning after their death sentences were confirmed by the Supreme Court, Iran's judiciary news outlet Mizan reported. The two men were arrested on January 8 in the Tabarsi area of Mashhad, following the nationwide protests that broke out across Iran. They were charged and found guilty of being involved in violent action that led to the killing of four security forces.

According to Mizan, rioters set fire to shops, banks, buses, and public property in Mashhad on the night of January 8, blocking streets to prevent security forces from responding. The outlet said Hemmati confessed to setting fire to a store with a Molotov cocktail and to stabbing a Basij (a volunteer paramilitary organization part of the IRGC) member during the unrest, while Nikandish confessed to setting fire to a bank, destroying property, and participating in an attack on a Basij member.

Both men were tried with lawyers present before receiving death sentences, which were later upheld by the Supreme Court. The judge sentenced Nikandish, a 25-year-old from Quchan, to death on charges of moharebeh, or "waging war against God."

The executions were reportedly carried out "following the confirmation of the sentences by the Supreme Court and the completion of legal procedures."