“On the night of 27 July, people kept vigil in Alikhani Square until dawn. There is something profoundly human about it: standing in the darkness so that another person does not have to face death alone.” This comes from the testimonies of people who rushed to Alikhani Square that night. The square had been prepared for the public execution of three protesters from the January 2026 protests in Isfahan. A scaffold had been erected; families had been summoned. There was a heavy security presence surrounding the area. People rushed there to stop the executions. They were met with violence, including lethal force. Yet people stayed refusing to give up on the men's lives until the very last moment. Gathering to plead for a life is not a crime, least of all against a public execution, which is incompatible with international human rights law. In the end, two of the three men were executed that night in public before the eyes of their families, and of the people who had spent the night hoping to save them. They were made to witness every moment. Public execution turns death into a spectacle and exposes an entire society to the violence of the State. Alireza Sepahi was not executed that night, but he was far from safe. He was executed today, 5 October. He was arrested at his home on 10 January 2026, and was one of 12 defendants sentenced to death in the case concerning the deaths of four security personnel at Alikhani Square, which the defendants were accused of causing. The case has been accompanied by serious allegations concerning the treatment of the defendants and the fairness of the proceedings. Reports say that Sepahi’s mother was tortured in his presence, and that he and his cousin were beaten and tortured in front of members of their family. Sepahi was sentenced to death by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court and was scheduled to be publicly hanged that night, alongside the other two men. But shortly before the scheduled execution, he suffered a heart attack and was transferred to hospital. He was discharged a few days later and returned to prison, where he lived every day in fear of execution, until the moment arrived. On 2 September, his appeal was accepted and his case was referred for retrial. However, the Isfahan Revolutionary Court reportedly dismissed the application without holding a hearing. The sentence was carried our early hours of 5 October, while his lawyer and legal counsel were still trying to find a way for his retrial. Public executions constitute cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. No one should face this punishment, and no society should be made to watch. My mandate’s communication about Alireza Sepahi would be published here soon. spcommreports.ohchr.org/Tmse…