Iran executes Siavash Jamshidi over January anti-government protests
Iran's judiciary said on 3 October it had executed Siavash Jamshidi, convicted of firing at police during the January protests. Reports differ on the death toll's attribution, and rights groups dispute Iran's account of the violence.
1 / 3
The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Iran said on Saturday 3 October 2026 that it had executed Siavash Jamshidi, a man convicted of a raft of charges including firing a military-grade weapon at police officers during anti-government protests earlier in 2026. The Straits TimesRC “Iran said on Oct 3 that it had executed a man convicted of a raft of charges, including firing a military-grade weapon at police officers during anti-government protests earlier in 2026.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The HinduLC “Iran said on Saturday (October 3, 2026) it had executed a man convicted of a raft of charges including firing a military-grade weapon at police officers” Read at The Hindu ↗ Mixed · 2The judiciary said he was sentenced to death on charges of moharebeh, a legal term meaning "waging war against God", through brandishing and firing a firearm, as well as conspiracy and collusion against national security. The Straits TimesRC ““Jamshidi was sentenced to death on charges of moharebeh through brandishing and firing a firearm, as well as conspiracy and collusion against national security,” Iran’s judiciary said” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The HinduLC “using the legal term moharebeh to mean "waging war against God"” Read at The Hindu ↗ Right · 1According to Reuters, the judiciary said Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi fired at least three shots at police on 8 January and was arrested two days later with a handgun in Shahrekord, in southwestern Iran. The Straits TimesRC “fired at least three shots at police on January 8 and was arrested two days later with a handgun in Shahrekord in southwestern Iran.” Read at The Straits Times ↗
Right · 1The judiciary also accused him of contacting people online to organise "anti-security" activities and seeking payment for a "mission", without identifying who was purported to be behind it. The Straits TimesRC “It accused him of contacting people online to organise "anti-security" activities and seeking payment for a "mission", without identifying who was purported to be behind it.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Mixed · 2The judiciary's Mizan Online website said he was also found guilty of offences unrelated to the protests, including fraud, making threats, theft, and possession and carrying of an illegal military-grade weapon, as well as complicity in kidnapping, brandishing a weapon to intimidate and intentional infliction of bodily harm. The Straits TimesRC “including “fraud, making threats, theft, possession and carrying of an illegal military-grade weapon”.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The HinduLC “Other charges included "complicity in kidnapping, brandishing a weapon to intimidate, and intentional infliction of bodily harm".” Read at The Hindu ↗ Left · 1Mizan said Jamshidi was "active" during the demonstrations, which were sparked by grievances over living costs but peaked with huge rallies on 8 and 9 January. The HinduLC “Mizan said Jamshidi was "active" during the demonstrations, which were sparked in December last year by grievances over living costs in Iran, but peaked on January 8 and 9 with huge rallies.” Read at The Hindu ↗
Right · 1Reuters said the protests erupted on 28 December 2025 over economic hardship and swelled into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule. The Straits TimesRC “The protests erupted on December 28, 2025, over economic hardship and swelled into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule in the Islamic Republic.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Mixed · 2Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths in the unrest and attributed the violence to "terrorist acts" orchestrated by the United States and Israel, while foreign-based rights groups maintain that Iranian security forces fired on protesters. The Straits TimesRC “The Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths in the unrest, attributing the violence to “terrorist acts” orchestrated by the United States and Israel.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The HinduLC “Foreign-based NGOs however maintain that Iranian security forces fired on protesters.” Read at The Hindu ↗ Right · 1Reuters noted that Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu acknowledged during the protests that Israel had operatives inside Iran, saying they aimed to weaken Iran's capabilities though not directly to topple the leadership. The Straits TimesRC “Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu acknowledged during the protests that Israel had operatives inside Iran.” Read at The Straits Times ↗
Mixed · 2US President Donald Trump threatened at the time to intervene militarily, and weeks later, in late February, the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, triggering the Middle East war; arrests and executions have since multiplied in Iran, linked to both the war and the protests. The Straits TimesRC “Weeks later in late February, the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on the Islamic republic, triggering the Middle East war.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The HinduLC “Since then, arrests and executions have multiplied in Iran, linked both to the war and the protests.” Read at The Hindu ↗ Mixed · 2Iran executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, the most in any year since 1989, according to the groups Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty, and Amnesty International says Iran carries out more executions than any country except China. The Straits TimesRC “In 2025, Iran executed at least 1,639 people, the largest number in any year since 1989, according to the NGOs Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The HinduLC “Amnesty International says Iran carries out more executions than any country except China.” Read at The Hindu ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- The Hindu runs the story as a straight report of the judiciary's announcement, with the charges, the context of the protests and the war, and execution statistics.
- Emphasis
- The scale of the unrest, saying thousands of people were killed in the lede, and the rise in executions.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not include the judiciary's specific allegations (three shots, arrest in Shahrekord, online organising) or the Israeli minister's remark.
- Charged language
- “waging war against God”
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- The Straits Times carries two agency pieces: an AFP report with the charges and wider context, and a Reuters report centred on the judiciary's allegations and Iran's blame of US- and Israel-backed operatives.
- Emphasis
- The judiciary's detailed account of the alleged offences, and Iran's claim of foreign involvement, with the Israeli minister's acknowledgement.
- Leaves out or plays down
- The Reuters piece omits the executions statistics and the NGO view that security forces fired on protesters; the AFP piece's lede says the unrest killed 'thousands' only in the body, attributing over 3,000 deaths to Iranian authorities.
- Charged language
- “terrorist acts”“anti-security”
- For example
-
“Iran blamed armed groups and operatives backed by the US and Israel for involvement in the protests and for some of the violence.” — The Straits Times
“The Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths in the unrest, attributing the violence to “terrorist acts” orchestrated by the United States and Israel.” — The Straits Times
What every side reports
- Iran's judiciary said on 3 October 2026 that it had executed Siavash Jamshidi over firing at police during the January protests.
- The charges included moharebeh and conspiracy against national security.
- Iranian authorities have stepped up executions linked to the unrest since January.
Where accounts differ
-
Cause of the violence in the protests
- Left
- Reports Iran's attribution of the violence to US- and Israel-orchestrated "terrorist acts" alongside the NGO view that security forces fired on protesters.
- Right
- The AFP-based piece reports the same two accounts; the Reuters piece says Iran blamed US- and Israel-backed armed groups and notes an Israeli minister's acknowledgement of operatives in Iran.
Iran place
Iran's judiciary says Jamshidi fired at police and conspired against national security, and Iranian authorities attribute the protest violence to US- and Israel-orchestrated "terrorist acts"; foreign-based NGOs say security forces fired on protesters.
“Foreign-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) however maintain that Iranian security forces fired on protesters.” — The Straits Times
“Iran blamed armed groups and operatives backed by the US and Israel for involvement in the protests and for some of the violence.” — The Straits Times
Left1 article
-
Iran executes man linked to anti-government protests
Neutral Same facts as the AFP-style report, stating in its lede that thousands were killed and stressing the rise in executions.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right3 articles
-
Iran executes man linked to anti-government protests
Neutral Agency-style report (signed AFP) of the execution, charges, official death toll and the NGO counter-account, with execution statistics.
-
The Straits TimesRC · · via Reuters
Iran executes detainee over January protests, judiciary says
Neutral Reuters copy centred on the judiciary's allegations against Jamshidi and Iran's blame of US- and Israel-backed operatives.
-
- 3 Oct 08:38 First The Straits TimesRC Iran executes man linked to anti-government protests
- 3 Oct 10:58 +2h 20m The Straits TimesRC Iran executes detainee over January protests, judiciary says via Reuters
- 3 Oct 16:39 +8h 1m The HinduLC Iran executes man linked to anti-government protests
- 3 Oct 18:24 +9h 46m The Jerusalem PostRC Iran executes detainee for participating in January anti-regime protests, judiciary says
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.