International Human Rights

A rights group says Iran has sentenced a young conscript, identified as Javid Khales, to death after he allegedly refused an order to shoot demonstrators during the latest wave of nationwide anti‑regime protests spanning late 2025 into early 2026. The Iran Human Rights Society reports Khales was immediately arrested on the spot when he would not fire on crowds and is now held in Esfahan prison, with no public details on his trial or access to counsel. The group warns his case exemplifies a broader pattern of 'summary trials' and accelerated executions that judiciary officials have openly endorsed as they vow to resolve protest‑related cases as fast as possible. The reported sentence comes amid thousands of arrests, large but hard‑to‑verify protest death tolls, and a near‑total internet shutdown that activists say is designed both to disrupt organizing and to hide the scale of repression. Rights advocates argue Khales’ treatment is intended to terrify other rank‑and‑file security personnel into 'absolute obedience' and signals a potential new wave of judicial killings.