Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Iran Executes Young Rapper After Anti-Government Protest Arrest
Erfan Mirzaei was a 21-year-old rapper from Iran.
He was arrested after security forces said his phone contained videos and pictures linked to protests.
He was charged with a serious offense called moharebeh.
Reports say an Iranian court sentenced him to death.
He was reportedly executed at a prison in Isfahan on September 6.
His family tried to stop the execution but learned about it afterward.
Relatives and other sources alleged that he had been badly beaten and tortured.
Human rights groups criticized the trial, treatment, and lack of legal help.
Iranian rapper Erfan Mirzaei, 21, was reportedly executed at Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan.
He was arrested in April at a checkpoint in Shahinshahr after security forces cited protest-related material on his phone.
Mirzaei was charged with moharebeh, meaning “enmity against God” or “waging war against God.”
Reports say his family sought to stop the execution and alleged threats, torture, and limited legal access.
Authorities described protest-related evidence, while relatives and rights groups disputed the circumstances surrounding his death.
- Who
- Erfan Mirzaei, a 21-year-old Iranian rapper and singer.
- What
- He was reportedly executed after being arrested and sentenced to death on a moharebeh charge connected to anti-government protests.
- When
- He was arrested in early April and reportedly executed on September 6; the article also describes the execution as occurring on a Sunday.
- Where
- Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan province; he was arrested at a checkpoint in Shahinshahr.
- Why
- Security forces said his phone contained protest-related images and videos, including footage of clashes with Basij members.
Family and Human Rights Concerns
Security and Judicial Claims
Basis for the Case
Family and Human Rights Concerns
Relatives and human rights groups portrayed the case as involving an unfair trial, torture, and limited access to legal assistance.
Security and Judicial Claims
Security forces said they found protest-related images and videos on Mirzaei’s phone, including footage of clashes involving Basij members.
Circumstances of Death
Family and Human Rights Concerns
Sources cited by IranWire alleged that Mirzaei died in custody after severe beatings and torture, pointing to bruises and other injuries on his body.
Security and Judicial Claims
Reports described the death as an execution following a death sentence for moharebeh, although no separate official account of the alleged injuries was provided.
Family Notification
Family and Human Rights Concerns
The family said it was informed of the execution without prior notice and reportedly faced threats against publicizing the case.
Security and Judicial Claims
The reported security position was that the legal process led to execution after the moharebeh charge and sentence.
- Age
- 21
- Occupation
- Rapper and singer
- Arrest
- Early April at a checkpoint in Shahinshahr, Isfahan province
- Charge
- Moharebeh, translated in the reports as “enmity against God” or “waging war against God”
- Reported execution site
- Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan
- Reported execution date
- September 6
- Burial
- Gharghan Village in Freidan, Isfahan province