Family of Alireza Raeisi, executed Isfahan protester, visits his grave for the first time

The family of Alireza Raeisi, a protester of the Dey uprising who was executed at dawn on 5 October 2026 in Isfahan's central prison (Dastgerd), have been able to visit his grave for the first time. An image that reached independent Persian-language media on Saturday, 17 October, shows family members beside his grave.

On the day of the execution, security agents took Alireza Raeisi's father to the burial site blindfolded and, fearing that people would gather, did not tell the family the exact location of the grave. The location has still not been made public.

Arrested a day after his cousin's burial

Alireza Raeisi was a cousin of Ramin Raeisi, who was killed during the Dey uprising of January 2026 in Isfahan. He was arrested on 19 January 2026, one day after Ramin's burial, and a revolutionary court sentenced him to death on a charge of "moharebeh" ("waging war against God"). Alireza Sepahi, another protester of the Dey uprising, was executed in Dastgerd prison at the same time.

Hiding graves: a recurring practice

Keeping the burial places of executed political prisoners secret, and burying them at night or in secret, is a practice the Islamic Republic uses to stop graves from becoming places where people gather and mourn. This week as well, a memorial for Alisina Mostafavi, an executed political prisoner, was cancelled in Kerman under pressure from government forces.

Alireza Raeisi's execution came as Amnesty International has warned that at least 20 protesters of the Dey uprising are at imminent risk of execution, and the UN secretary-general has also called for an immediate halt to executions.

Twelve days after the execution, Alireza Raeisi's family were finally able to stand at his grave.