Amnesty International revealed that two 17-year-olds are among those at risk of being sentenced to death in Iran for involvement in January’s protests, calling for an immediate halt to the executions
Amnesty International has claimed that minors are among 30 people at risk of execution amid expedited trials connected to Iranian protests that took place in January 2026, according to a report published on Friday.
The Amnesty report reveals that among the 30 individuals arrested, eight have been sentenced to death, including one 18-year-old and a 19-year-old.
In a statement addressing the pending executions, Amnesty said, “The Iranian authorities must immediately halt all plans to execute eight individuals sentenced to death after being convicted of committing offences during the January 2026 nationwide protests.”
These 30-some individuals, including two 17-year-olds, are currently undergoing or awaiting trial proceedings and are at risk of receiving the death penalty as their trials proceed, according to Amnesty. Their charges include a variety of offenses against the regime, such as arson and connections to the death of a security officer.
These proceedings are reportedly tainted by numerous significant violations of the right to a fair trial.
Confessions reportedly extracted through torture
Such violations include allegations of confessions obtained through torture, denial of access to legal representation during the investigation phase, and refusal to recognize independent legal counsel appointed by the families of the accused for the trial.
According to Amnesty, some individuals sustained severe beatings while being pressured to confess to the charges against them. One individual was reportedly forced to confess after interrogators placed a gun in his mouth.
Amnesty also stated it believes that the actual number of individuals at risk of receiving the death penalty in Iran is much higher than the figures officially reported by the Iranian government. Iranian officials have arrested thousands of protesters in connection with the uprising and have repeatedly threatened to impose ‘the maximum punishment’ (death penalty) without delay.
‘Disregard for the right to life’
Diana Eltahawy, the Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, made a statement about the upcoming executions, asserting that “the Iranian authorities are once again demonstrating their deep disregard for the right to life and justice by threatening expedited executions and imposing death sentences through fast-tracked trials, just weeks after arrests. By weaponizing the death penalty, they aim to instill fear and suppress the spirit of a population that is demanding fundamental change.”
She continued, “Children and young adults form the bulk of those caught in the machinery of state repression following the January protests, denied access to effective legal representation and subjected to torture or other ill-treatment and incommunicado detention to extract forced ‘confessions’. The international community must take coordinated global action, pressuring the Iranian authorities to stop using the court system as a conveyor belt for executions.”