Iran executes protester hours after his wedding, refuse to release body

Following the execution, authorities reportedly refused to release Sepahi’s body to his family for burial in his hometown.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Iran executed 25-year-old protester Alireza Sepahi by hanging at Isfahan Central Prison on October 5, 2026, hours after he married his imprisoned 22-year-old fiancée, Mahshad Kashani, by telephone.

Sepahi and Kashani, who were engaged before their arrests, exchanged vows October 4 while held in separate facilities.

Their fathers joined the telephone ceremony, and human rights lawyer Amirsalar Davoudi facilitated the marriage by reading the vows for them to bless.

“It was Mahshad’s idea,” Davoudi said. “Even now, I wonder how one young woman can possess such courage.”

Kashani’s family provided a copy of the Quran, a saffron rock candy and a single red rose as a traditional dowry. The couple was not permitted a final in-person visit.

Both were arrested in connection with anti-government protests in Isfahan’s Alikhani Square in January 2026.

Iranian authorities accused Sepahi of involvement in an incident in which four security officers were killed.

He received a death sentence, while Kashani is serving a five-year prison term.

Human rights organizations and activists condemned Sepahi’s trial, alleging that authorities extracted confessions through torture, denied him access to legal counsel and disregarded security footage they said showed he was not at the scene of the incident.

Sepahi had previously been scheduled for execution on July 28, 2026, but suffered a severe heart attack shortly before he was due to be taken to the gallows and fell into a coma.

The medical emergency temporarily halted his execution. He was sent to the gallows shortly after recovering consciousness.

Authorities hanged Sepahi at Isfahan’s Central (Dastgerd) Prison alongside fellow protester Alireza Raisi.

Following the execution, authorities reportedly refused to release Sepahi’s body to his family for burial in his hometown.

executionIranian protestersIranian regime