{"id":88476,"date":"2026-07-23T07:47:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T05:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/?p=88476"},"modified":"2026-07-23T07:47:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T05:47:26","slug":"iranian-regime-executes-pmoi-member-mehdi-khanaki-as-wave-of-political-executions-deepens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/human-rights\/2026\/07\/iranian-regime-executes-pmoi-member-mehdi-khanaki-as-wave-of-political-executions-deepens\/88476\/","title":{"rendered":"Iranian Regime Executes PMOI Member Mehdi Khanaki as Wave of Political Executions Deepens"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Mehdi — Mehdi Khanaki, a 26-year-old PMOI member, executed by the Iranian regime on July 22, 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
26-year-old law graduate executed after Revolutionary Court death sentence as international concerns mount over political prisoners<\/h3>\n
At dawn on Wednesday, July 22, 2026<\/strong>, the Iranian regime executed Mehdi Khanaki<\/strong>, a 26-year-old law graduate and member of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK<\/a>)<\/strong>, in Karaj. His execution marks another step in the regime\u2019s escalating campaign against political prisoners and PMOI members, raising renewed concerns about the growing use of capital punishment to suppress political dissent.<\/p>\n
Arrest, torture, and death sentence<\/h3>\n
Khanaki had been pursued by Iranian security forces following the January 2026 nationwide uprising<\/strong> before being arrested in Karaj on **February 10, 2026<\/strong>. During months of detention, he was reportedly subjected to severe physical and psychological torture.<\/p>\n**
On March 1, 2026<\/strong>, information regarding his arrest and the torture he allegedly endured was submitted by the Iranian Resistance to the **UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran<\/strong> and other international human rights organizations, warning of the serious risk to his life.<\/p>\n**
Following proceedings widely described as lacking due process, the Revolutionary Court sentenced Khanaki to death and ordered the confiscation of all his property. The judiciary accused him of PMOI membership, collecting and storing weapons, and carrying out what authorities described as operations against the state linked to the January 2026 protests.<\/p>\n
Judiciary repeats security allegations<\/h3>\n
In announcing the execution, the regime\u2019s judiciary claimed that security forces seized five handguns, 90 rounds of ammunition, nine magazines, explosive remote controls, homemade grenades, flares, launcher tubes, explosive devices, and bomb-making materials during Khanaki\u2019s arrest.<\/p>\n
According to the judiciary, forensic and technical examinations allegedly concluded that some of the seized weapons had been used during the January 2026 nationwide unrest. State media initially reported the arrest without revealing Khanaki\u2019s identity, referring only to the detention of a member of the \u201cMonafeqin,\u201d the regime\u2019s derogatory term for the PMOI.<\/p>\n
Maryam Rajavi condemns the execution<\/h3>\n
Following the execution, **Mrs.** Maryam Rajavi<\/a><\/strong>, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI<\/a>), strongly condemned the hanging of Mehdi Khanaki and the continuing executions of political prisoners and rebellious youth.<\/p>\n
She described the executions as \u201ca clear sign of the persistent uprising of the Iranian people and their brave children against religious fascism,\u201d<\/strong> adding that they reflect **\u201cthe regime\u2019s terror of the inevitable explosion of public anger.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n**
\n
The 26-year-old PMOI freedom fighter, Mehdi Khanaki, was executed this morning by the clerical regime in Iran. He had been wanted since the January uprising and was arrested on February 10 in Karaj.
His arrest and severe torture were reported to the UN Special Rapporteur and\u2026<\/p>\n
**\u2014 Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 22, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n**