Two cousins sentenced to death in connection with Iran’s January 2026 protests were allowed what their family feared would be a final farewell. Days later, Abolfazl Sepahi was publicly executed in Isfahan, while Alireza Sepahi remains under a death sentence amid serious concerns over fair-trial protections.
For one Iranian family, a prison visit became a moment of unimaginable uncertainty and grief.
Abolfazl Sepahi and Alireza Sepahi, two defendants in the case known as the Alikhani Square case in Isfahan, were sentenced to death following the nationwide protests of January 2026. In July, reports emerged that the two men had been permitted a final family visit—an action that immediately raised fears that their executions were imminent.
The circumstances of that farewell were particularly painful. Alireza’s mother, Somayeh Afshar, who is herself serving a five-year prison sentence in connection with the case, was reportedly transferred from prison so she could see her son and her son-in-law, Abolfazl.
A Family Forced to Prepare for the Worst
Abolfazl and Alireza were not only cousins. Abolfazl was also married into Alireza’s immediate family, making the threat of execution a double tragedy for the same household.
Human rights reports described the meeting as a final farewell—a mother facing the possibility of losing both her son and son-in-law while she remained imprisoned herself. The case became a stark illustration of how a death sentence reaches far beyond the prisoner, affecting parents, spouses, siblings, and entire families.
At the time of that visit, concerns were already mounting because two other defendants in the same case, Erfan Esfandiari and Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi, had been executed on July 19.
What Is the Alikhani Square Case?
The case stems from protests in Isfahan’s Alikhani Square on January 8, 2026. Iranian authorities said four members of the security forces were killed during the unrest and accused defendants in the case of involvement in violence, arson, attacks on security personnel, and destruction of public property.
Numerous people were arrested following the events, and multiple defendants ultimately received death sentences.
Iranian judicial authorities have said the defendants faced charges including moharebeh—“enmity against God”—baghi, or armed rebellion, and efsad-fil-arz, commonly translated as “corruption on Earth.”
Human rights organizations, however, have challenged the fairness of the proceedings and raised concerns over access to lawyers, treatment during detention, the use of confessions, and the ability of defendants to properly challenge the evidence against them.
Serious Questions Over the Trial
HRANA reported that lawyers faced significant restrictions in accessing case files and that some hearings were conducted remotely. Families were reportedly not given full information about the judgments, while defense evidence was allegedly disregarded during parts of the proceedings.
The United Nations also intervened before further executions were carried out. UN experts urged Iranian authorities to overturn the death sentences, warning about the fairness of sentencing multiple defendants to death in a closed proceeding and raising concerns over alleged coerced confessions and inadequate access to legal representation.
These concerns are especially significant in capital cases because once an execution has taken place, any judicial error becomes irreversible.
Abolfazl Sepahi Was Later Publicly Executed
The fears surrounding the family’s farewell proved tragically justified.
On July 28, 2026, Iranian authorities executed Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi. Human rights organizations reported that the two men were publicly hanged in Alikhani Square—the same area associated with the January protests.
Videos and reports from the scene indicated that people gathered near the square before the executions and that security forces confronted members of the crowd. Iran Human Rights reported that authorities used force against people who had assembled in opposition to the executions.
Abolfazl’s execution meant that the farewell his family had feared would be their last truly became one.
Alireza Sepahi’s Execution Was Interrupted by a Medical Emergency
Alireza Sepahi was reportedly also scheduled to be executed alongside Abolfazl and Amirhossein Safari on July 28.
However, shortly before the planned execution, Alireza suffered a serious medical emergency reported by rights groups as a stroke or heart attack. He was taken for medical treatment, revived, and later returned to Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. More recent reporting indicates that he continues to face the possibility of execution.
Amnesty International subsequently listed Alireza among eight defendants from the Alikhani Square case who remained at imminent risk of execution following the July 28 executions.
One Execution, Another Life Still at Risk
The story of Abolfazl and Alireza Sepahi has therefore taken two devastatingly different paths.
For Abolfazl, the death sentence has already been carried out.
For Alireza, the threat remains.
And for their family—already separated by imprisonment—the case represents a continuing cycle of uncertainty, loss, and fear.
Human rights advocates argue that regardless of the allegations against a defendant, a death sentence should never be imposed or implemented without the strongest possible guarantees of due process, independent legal representation, transparent examination of evidence, and a meaningful opportunity to appeal.
The Alikhani Square case continues to raise precisely those questions.
A final family visit became a final goodbye for Abolfazl Sepahi. For Alireza Sepahi, the question now is whether the international attention surrounding the case will come before another irreversible sentence is carried out.