Mehdi Khanki; 24th Protester of the January 2026 Demonstrations Executed in an Undisclosed Location
July 22, 2026 – Mizan News Agency, affiliated with the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, reported today, Wednesday, July 22, 2026, the execution of one of the January 2026 protesters in Karaj named "Mehdi Khanki". The Islamic Republic executed him under the designation of an "element of an anti-revolutionary terrorist group" and by invoking the Law on Increasing Penalties for Espionage, following a secret, ambiguous, and non-transparent process. The state news outlet made no mention of the location where the death sentence was carried out or the disposition of his body.
Without detailing the judicial proceedings, the number or nature of court sessions, whether the defendant had access to chosen or court-appointed legal counsel, counsel's access to the case file, how the defense was presented, or the status of his right to appeal—and despite only five months having elapsed between his arrest and execution—Mizan reported that "the death sentence of Mehdi Khanki, an active element of a terrorist group involved in the January 2026 coup attempt, was executed following confirmation by the Supreme Court". Without identifying the specific group alleged, the news agency also issued threats, stating that these actions were carried out under the mandates of the Judiciary and by order of the deceased "Khamenei".
Mizan claimed that "Mehdi Khanki" was identified and arrested on February 10, 2026, and that following a raid by security forces on his personal home, a quantity of "weapons and ammunition" was seized. The media outlet further asserted that he was involved in "bomb-making" at his residence and that he received and used "weapons" during the January protests.
In connection with these assertions, Mizan News Agency released a 19-second video titled "Mehdi Khanki's Bomb-Making Workshop and Hideout," showing the moment of his arrest while lying on bedding on the floor. The video also features brief, vague, heavily edited, and blurred footage displaying what is presented as "seized weapons and ammunition" against varying backgrounds and in a room with blue carpet, whereas the arrest location featured brown flooring.
The outlet further claimed that Mehdi Khanki confessed to these charges following his arrest. It reported that upon completion of the investigation, an indictment was issued, and the Revolutionary Court of Karaj sentenced him to death and confiscation of all property on charges of "operational actions in favor of the Zionist regime, the United States, and hostile groups" and "manufacturing, procuring, and possessing military weapons and ammunition and their use," citing the "Law on Increasing Penalties for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime and Hostile Countries Against National Security and Interests".
While Mizan noted that the verdict was served on his lawyer, it failed to clarify whether Mehdi Khanki had access to legal counsel of his own choosing during the legal proceedings. The agency stated only that the sentence was carried out after being reviewed on appeal and upheld by the Supreme Court—a process that took merely five months and ten days from arrest to execution.
Including the execution of Mehdi Khanki, at least 24 protesters linked to the January 2026 demonstrations have been executed over the four-month period between March 19, 2026, and July 22, 2026. The names of these individuals, in sequence, are: Saleh Mohammadi, Saeed Davoudi, Mehdi Ghasemi, Amirhossein Hatami, Mohammadamin Bigleri, Shahin Vahedparast Kolor, Ali Fahim, Amirali Mirjaafari, Erfan Kiani, Sasan Azadvar, Ebrahim Dowlatabadi-Nejad, Mehdi Rasouli, Mohammadreza Miri, Mohammad Abbasi, Abbas Akbari Feizabadi, Ashkan Maleki, Mehrdad Mohammadinia, Fathollah Avari, Javad Zamani, Abolfazl Saaedi, Mohammad Amini Dehaqani, Erfan Esfandiari, Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi, and Mehdi Khanki.
