TEHRAN — Iran will execute its first woman linked to the December protests, marking a sharp escalation in Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's crackdown since taking power after his father's death.

Bita Hemmati faces the death penalty alongside three men for what prosecutors call "operational action for the hostile government of the United States." The charges stem from protests that erupted across Tehran in late December as Iran's currency collapsed and food prices doubled.

But this isn't about four protesters. It's about the new Supreme Leader's strategy.

Different ruler, harsher methods

Mojtaba Khamenei has executed 47 people since March 8, when he assumed power following his father Ali Khamenei's death in US-Israeli airstrikes. That's more than double the rate under his father's final months, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights.

"The son is proving he's tougher than the father," said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran. "Every execution sends a message that dissent will be crushed faster and harder."

The timing matters. Iran's economy has cratered since the February strikes destroyed key oil infrastructure and killed top officials. Inflation hit 78% in March. The rial lost another 23% against the dollar this week alone.

Desperate people took to the streets in December. Now they're being executed.

Judge Iman Afshari of Tehran's Revolutionary Court sentenced Hemmati, her husband Mohammadreza Majidi Asl, and brothers Behrouz and Kourosh Zamaninezhad to death Tuesday. A fifth defendant, Amir Hemmati, got five years plus eight months for "propaganda against the regime."

The verdict offers no specifics. Human Rights Activists News Agency obtained a copy that lists vague accusations: "using explosives and weapons, harming stationed forces, throwing objects including bottles and concrete blocks." No evidence. No details of individual involvement.

The confession factory

Iranian state television broadcast Hemmati's "confession" in January. She appeared bruised, speaking in a monotone voice about planning attacks on government buildings. The Abdorrahman Boroumand Center believes this was the same woman now facing execution.

"The recording and broadcasting of forced confessions from defendants in an opaque process constitutes a blatant violation of the defendant's rights," the center said Wednesday.

HRANA claims it has evidence the defendants were tortured before confessing. Standard practice under both Khamenei regimes, but accelerated under the son's rule.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran said the four were arrested while demonstrating peacefully in Tehran's Azadi Square on December 28. They were held incommunicado for six weeks before the televised confessions began.

Three things make this case different. First, the speed — six weeks from arrest to death sentence. Second, the gender — no woman has been executed for protest-related charges since 1988. Third, the message — Mojtaba Khamenei is not his father.

Why now, why her

The younger Khamenei inherited a country at war, an economy in free fall, and a population that watched his father die on television. He needs to establish control quickly.

Executing a woman crosses a line his father avoided for decades. It signals that traditional restraints are gone.

"They're making an example," said Mansoureh Mills, a researcher at Amnesty International who tracks Iran executions. "The message is that gender, age, circumstances — none of that will save you now."

Iran executed 853 people in 2023, the highest total in eight years. This year's pace suggests that number will double.

The protests that landed Hemmati on death row began December 22 when bread prices tripled overnight. Demonstrations spread to 15 cities within 48 hours. Security forces killed at least 73 protesters, according to verified social media footage analyzed by the Center for Human Rights in Iran.

But the protests died out by January 15. Not because of concessions. Because of fear.

What the commanders are watching

Iranian officials have not announced execution dates for the four. That decision rests with the Supreme Leader's office — meaning Mojtaba Khamenei personally.

His father typically delayed high-profile executions during sensitive diplomatic periods. The son has shown no such restraint. He executed six protesters in March while Pakistan's foreign minister was visiting Tehran for nuclear talks.

The executions also serve a domestic political purpose. Hardliners who questioned Mojtaba's legitimacy after his father's death now see decisive action. Revolutionary Guard commanders who worried about his resolve now see strength.

"He's consolidating power through blood," said Ali Vaez, Iran director at the International Crisis Group. "Every execution is a loyalty test for the system."

The four condemned prisoners remain in Tehran's Evin Prison. Their families have been denied visits since the sentencing. Under Iranian law, they have 20 days to appeal.

The Supreme Leader's office has not responded to requests for clemency. In his public statements since taking power, Mojtaba Khamenei has mentioned protesters only once: "Enemies of the revolution will face divine justice."

For Bita Hemmati, divine justice apparently means a rope.