Sentenced to death in Iran – and managed to marry his beloved at the last moment

Alireza Safaei, a 25-year-old Iranian regime opponent, was executed by hanging in Isfahan Central Prison after being convicted of participating in anti-government protests. Just hours earlier, he married his imprisoned fiancée, Mahtab Kashani, in a phone call. Human rights organizations report a wave of mass executions in Iran.

Alireza Safaei, a 25-year-old Iranian regime opponent, was executed by hanging in the early hours of Monday, October 5, 2026, at Isfahan Central Prison. The execution took place just hours after he married his fiancée, 22-year-old Mahtab Kashani, a student and activist serving a five-year prison sentence, in a phone call from prison. Safaei was executed alongside a co-defendant, Alireza Raisi, after both were sentenced to death for participating in anti-regime protests at Elikhani Square in Isfahan on January 8, 2026. Kashani pushed for an informal wedding on Sunday after it became clear that Safaei's execution was inevitable. The ceremony was held over the phone, with both of their fathers joining the line. Human rights lawyer Amirsalar Davoudi helped organize the ceremony and read the vows. Kashani's family gave a copy of the Quran, a saffron candy, and a red lily as a dowry. The wedding had no legal validity that could stop the death sentence. Safaei was among seven defendants executed in the same case. After the hanging, authorities prevented his family from burying him in his hometown. Meanwhile, Maryam Rajavi called on the UN Secretary-General to act to stop the wave of executions.