Iran has conducted an ongoing crackdown against political protesters and opposition activists since mass demonstrations in January 2026, with documented arrests, lengthy prison sentences, hangings of political prisoners on espionage charges, and property confiscations continuing through mid-June. The article from RFE/RL directly supports Pompeo's characterization with specific cases: poet Yousef Ansari sentenced to prison, music professor Fereydoun Farahani arrested for social media posts during protests, and Iran Human Rights reporting at least 40 prisoners including 19 protesters hanged on politically motivated charges in 2026 alone. The crackdown has drawn international condemnation including from 16 Nobel laureates and Amnesty International, which documented 78 protesters and political prisoners at risk of execution as of late May. What the post does not specify: the crackdown intensified following Iran's February-March 2026 conflict with the US and Israel, during which a new espionage law was introduced that has been used to justify executions of those charged with alleged contact with foreign intelligence.