Haunting faces of the forgotten: Amid fears US may be poised to pull out of Iran war, families of condemned activists beg the world not to look the other way

By ANDREW JEHRING, CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT and NATALIE LISBONA - MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT Published: 00:27, 4 April 2026 | Updated: 00:36, 4 April 2026 Paraded before court in striped blue prison shirts, the two teenage boys fidgeted anxiously, their eyes wide with fear. Erfan Amiri, 17, and Ehsan Hesarlu, 18, had already ‘confessed’ to arson during January’s anti-regime protests following weeks of abuse at the hands of the Iranian police. While their ‘fast-tracked, torture tainted’ trial broadcast to the nation from the Revolutionary Court in Tehran is still ongoing, human rights groups warn that without help they will join dozens of men already sentenced to death. This week, 18-year-old musician Amirhossein Hatami was hanged for the same crime. Now Mohammad Amin Biglari, 19, Ali Fahim, 23, Abolfazl Salehi Siavashani, 51, and Shahin Vahedparast Kolor, 30, have been moved to pre-execution solitary confinement. There are at least 25 men on death row while thousands more are at risk with over half a dozen already put to death after being arrested during the protests. While the uprising started organically and grew in response to calls from exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi to take to the streets on January 8 and 9, they were hugely encouraged by Donald Trump. The US President promised activists that if the Iranian regime does ‘anything bad’ to them ‘we’re going to hit them very hard’. When Tehran then slaughtered more than 30,000 by some counts, he pledged that ‘help is on its way’ and told the brave Iranian people: ‘Keep protesting.’ Sources familiar with the Islamic Republic’s justice system said it was only the ‘threat of an American attack’ that had prevented ‘the execution machine being set fully in motion’. Mr Trump appeared to make good on his word on February 28, when US intelligence helped Israel assassinate the regime’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before blistering joint strikes wiped out much of the leadership and were cheered by the people. Pictured: Erfan Amiri, 17, and Ehsan Hesarlu, 18, had already ‘confessed’ to arson during January’s anti-regime protests following weeks of abuse at the hands of the Iranian police Another sentenced to death is Mohammad Abbasi (pictured), 55, who was convicted of Moharebeh over the killing of a police colonel, while his distraught 33-year-old daughter (pictured behind Mr Abbasi), Fatemeh, looked on in court  Pictured: Mohammad Amin Bigleri is one of many Iranians currently on death row  Now, the fear is that the US appears on the verge of pulling out, satisfied that they have reduced Tehran’s nuclear capabilities but leaving the regime and its ‘execution machine’ in place. Today the Daily Mail publishes pictures of all those at risk of execution whose families have given permission to share their photographs as they call on Washington – and the world – not to forget them. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights, told the Daily Mail: ‘It is essential to stress that any deal, negotiation or dialogue with the Islamic Republic must place the human rights situation of the Iranian people at its core, with an immediate halt to the use of the death penalty as a primary condition.’ An Iranian whose brother was tortured and killed in January said: ‘These are not just statistics – these are children, human beings with dreams and futures. The world cannot stay silent any longer. It is time to act, to speak and to stand for their right to live.’ Amnesty International has warned that Erfan and Ehsan’s trial at Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran is ‘grossly unfair’. They were arrested alongside Matin Mohammadi, 17, on January 8 for alleged involvement in a fire at a base for the feared Basij paramilitary that killed two agents. ‘Ehsan was forced to “confess” after severe beatings and when interrogators put a gun in his mouth,’ the human rights group said, while their lawyers were threatened until the state appointed an attorney ‘who failed to defend them effectively’. Another at serious risk is Danial Niazi, 18, who is accused of attempted murder, intentional assault, assembly and collusion against national security. When his mother visited him in prison last month ‘he had been beaten so badly he could not walk’ and he said guards had threatened to arrest and rape her. It had been hoped that the teenagers arrested would be spared, as the regime previously said it would differentiate between what it chillingly described as ‘deceived youth’. But Amirhossein’s execution on Wednesday marked a disturbing escalation. He was among seven men arrested on January 8, accused of arson and brought before ‘Death Judge’ Abolghassem Salavati at Tehran’s feared Revolutionary Court on February 6. Shahab Zohdi (pictured) has been sentenced to death. He has raised his child alone for 15 years following the death of his wife just five months after she gave birth Danial Niazi (pictured), 18, is accused of attempted murder, intentional assault, assembly and collusion against national security This week, 18-year-old musician Amirhossein Hatami (pictured) was hanged Each was convicted of ‘Moharebeh’, or ‘Enmity Against God’, and sentenced to death by hanging – with Amirhossein the first to be put to death this week. Among them was Shahab Zohdi, who has raised his child alone for 15 years following the death of his wife just five months after she gave birth. Much like the 38-year-old, Abolfazl Siavashani, 51, is the sole provider for his 18-year-old son, working long hours as a motorbike courier to get by. But that counted for little in front of Salavati, who delivered the same sentence to Mohammad Amin Bigleri, 19, Ali Fahim, 23, Shahin Vahedparast Kolor, 30, and Yaser Rajaifar. Another sentenced to death is Mohammad Abbasi, 55, who was convicted of Moharebeh over the killing of a police colonel, while his distraught 33-year-old daughter, Fatemeh, looked on in court. The regime has already stepped up executions as Trump signals an end to the war, with four political prisoners hanged this week. ‘Iranians did not sacrifice themselves for another version of the regime,’ an Iranian whose brother was beaten in the protests told us. ‘Freedom has a cost – Israel and the US have to finish the job.’ The White House said: ‘By achieving the military objectives stated under Operation Epic Fury, President Trump is making the entire region safer and more stable by eliminating Iran’s short and long-term threats to our country and allies.’ Additional reporting: Tilly Kirk  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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