Iran’s Top Prosecutor Denies Trump Claim of 800 Canceled Protester Hangings as Activists Put Death Toll Above 5,000
Iran’s top prosecutor Mohammad Movahedi called President Trump’s claim that Tehran had canceled the hanging of about 800 detained protesters “completely false,” saying “no such number exists,” while activists now put the death toll from the crackdown that began Dec. 28 at more than 5,000. The denial comes amid a heavy state response — hard‑line clerics publicly calling for executions, a near‑total internet blackout and largely suppressed protests — prompting concern from the U.N. human‑rights chief and cautious warnings from regional governments about any U.S. military intervention.
📌 Key Facts
- Iran’s top prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, denied President Trump’s claim that Iran "canceled the hanging of over 800 people," calling the number "completely false," saying "no such number exists," and suggesting the figure may have originated from the Foreign Ministry while stressing the judiciary’s independence.
- President Trump publicly told reporters that "Iran canceled the hanging of over 800 people" and said he "greatly respect[s] the fact that they canceled," without specifying his source.
- Activists now say the death toll from Iran’s protest crackdown is at least 5,032, substantially higher than earlier tallies reported in prior coverage (earlier activist estimates cited roughly 2,677 and 3,090).
- UN human-rights chief Volker Türk expressed concern about contradictory Iranian statements on executions of detainees and noted Iran recorded at least 1,500 executions last year — about a 50% increase over 2024.
- Hard-line clerics, including Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami and Tehran Friday prayer leader Mohammad Javad Haji Ali Akbari, publicly called for death penalties for detained protesters; Khatami’s state-radio-broadcast sermon prompted chants of "Armed hypocrites should be put to death!" and labeled protesters "Trump’s soldiers" and "butlers" of Netanyahu.
- Iranian authorities have largely suppressed demonstrations: there were no new protests in Tehran for days, daily life showed an uneasy return to normal, and officials imposed a near‑total internet blackout starting Jan. 8.
- Regional diplomats from Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar privately warned the U.S. that direct military intervention in Iran could destabilize the region and the global economy.
- U.S. and international responses remain tense: at a U.N. Security Council session the U.S. said all options were "on the table" to stop the killing, and analysts such as the Soufan Center assessed that, despite apparent U.S. partial backtracking on immediate strikes, continued U.S. force movements mean "kinetic action may still happen."
- Khatami’s history of hard-line rhetoric — including maintaining the fatwa against Salman Rushdie and past threats to "raze Tel Aviv and Haifa" — provides context for the regime’s current punitive and bellicose posture.
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 23, 2026
3:48 PM
Iran's top prosecutor denies Trump's claim 800 prisoners were spared execution
New information:
- Iran’s top prosecutor Mohammad Movahedi, via the judiciary’s Mizan agency, explicitly called Trump’s claim that Iran halted the execution of 800 detained protesters 'completely false' and said 'no such number exists.'
- Movahedi suggested the 800 figure may have come from Iran’s Foreign Ministry under Abbas Araghchi, emphasizing that the judiciary does not take instructions from foreign powers and asserting separation of powers.
- Activists now put the death toll from Iran’s protest crackdown at at least 5,032, higher than some prior activist tallies referenced in earlier coverage.
- UN human-rights chief Volker Türk told a special Human Rights Council session he is concerned about contradictory Iranian statements on executing detainees and noted at least 1,500 executions in Iran last year, a 50% increase over 2024.
- The Soufan Center assessed that although Trump appears to have partially backtracked on immediate strikes—likely under regional pressure and given the limits of air power—ongoing U.S. force movements mean 'kinetic action may still happen.'
- Tehran Friday prayer leader Mohammad Javad Haji Ali Akbari publicly mocked Trump in harsh terms, underscoring the regime’s rhetorical posture amid the standoff.
January 17, 2026
12:44 AM
No sign of new protests in Iran as a hard-line cleric calls for executions
New information:
- Reports that protests have been largely suppressed, with no new demonstrations in Tehran for days and daily life returning to an uneasy normal amid a week‑old near‑total internet blackout.
- President Trump is quoted telling reporters that 'Iran canceled the hanging of over 800 people' and saying he 'greatly respect[s] the fact that they canceled,' while not clarifying his source.
- The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency now puts the protest death toll at 3,090, described as higher than any unrest in Iran in decades and recalling 1979‑era turmoil.
- Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami’s Friday sermon is carried by Iranian state radio with chants of 'Armed hypocrites should be put to death!' and he labels protesters 'Trump’s soldiers' and 'butlers' of Netanyahu while warning Americans and Israelis not to 'expect peace.'
- Context that regional actors — including Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar — are privately warning Trump that U.S. intervention could destabilize the global economy and region.
January 16, 2026
3:41 PM
Prayer leader in Iran and the faithful call for executions over protests, a red line for Trump
New information:
- Clarifies that executions of detained protesters, along with the killing of peaceful demonstrators, are two of the 'red lines' President Trump has laid down for possible U.S. military action against Iran.
- Reports that Khatami’s latest Friday sermon in Tehran explicitly demanded the death penalty for detained protesters and was broadcast nationwide on state radio, prompting chants of 'Armed hypocrites should be put to death!' from worshipers.
- Reiterates that Iranian authorities cut off internet access on Jan. 8 and intensified the crackdown, with the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency now estimating at least 2,677 people killed since protests began Dec. 28.
- Details that at a U.N. Security Council session, U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz said Trump 'has made it clear that all options are on the table to stop the slaughter,' while Iran’s deputy U.N. ambassador accused Washington of fomenting unrest.
- Notes that a diplomat told AP that top officials from Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar privately warned Trump that direct U.S. military intervention in Iran could destabilize the region and shake the global economy.
- Provides additional background on Khatami’s past hard‑line statements, including maintaining the death fatwa against Salman Rushdie and threatening in 2018 that Iran could 'raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground' with missiles.