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When the Regime Uses Religion to Build a Gallows

The Islamic Regime did not execute Amirhossein Safari and Abolfazl Sepahi quietly behind prison walls. It hanged them publicly in Isfahan, transforming their deaths into a spectacle intended to frighten every Iranian who still dreams of freedom. Human-rights organizations say the two young men were condemned after a deeply unfair mass trial involving allegations of forced confessions, mistreatment and denial of meaningful legal representation. At the execution site, banners reportedly cited verse 33 of Surah Al-Ma’idah. The verse speaks of those who “wage war against Allah and His Messenger” and lists death, crucifixion, cross-amputation or exile among the possible punishments. Islamic legal traditions have often discussed this verse in connection with hirabah—violent armed banditry—but the Islamic Republic has repeatedly expanded the accusation of moharebeh, or “war against God,” to place protesters and political opponents under threat of death.

Jul 29, 2026