Iranian protesters march in Florence, call for halt to executions in Iran

A demonstration by members and supporters of the Iranian community took place in Florence on Saturday, September 19, 2026, marking four years since the death of Mahsa Amini and calling for an end to executions in Iran.

Organisers estimated that around 500 people took part in the march, which began at Santa Maria Novella railway station and ended in Piazza Sant’Ambrogio, on the eastern side of Florence’s historic centre.

Participants carried Iranian and Israeli flags, as well as signs supporting Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah. Some demonstrators chanted slogans in favour of the former monarchy and displayed material from campaigns opposing executions in Iran.

The protest was part of demonstrations organised by Iranians in several cities around the world. Participants said their aim was both to remember Amini and to draw attention to people facing death sentences in Iran.

Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman, died in September 2022 after being detained by Iran’s morality police over an alleged violation of the country’s compulsory hijab rules. Her death triggered the Woman, Life, Freedom protests across Iran.

Saturday’s demonstrators called on Italy, the European Union and other Western governments to increase pressure on the Iranian authorities over capital punishment.

Concerns about executions in Iran have also been raised by international human rights organisations. Amnesty International recorded more than 2,100 executions in Iran in 2025, its highest annual figure for the country since 1981. In 2026, the organisation has continued to report cases of protesters and dissidents facing the death penalty, while United Nations experts have raised concerns about death sentences imposed in proceedings involving alleged torture, arbitrary detention and violations of fair-trial guarantees.

The Florence march concluded in Piazza Sant’Ambrogio, where participants held final speeches and renewed their appeal for international action against executions in Iran.

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