Iranian authorities are reportedly preparing to carry out what human rights organisations warn could be the first execution linked to the ongoing anti-government protests sweeping the country. Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old protester, is expected to be hanged to death in Iran, according to multiple reports.
Soltani's alleged execution orders have not been independently verified, largely due to the nationwide communications blackout.
Who Is Erfan Soltani?
Erfan Soltani is a 26-year-old Iranian protester detained for taking part in nationwide demonstrations against the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Soltani is a resident of Fardis in the Karaj suburb near Tehran.
According to a report in The New York Post, Soltani was arrested on January 8 while participating in anti-government demonstrations. Sources told the Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO that “his family were told that he had been sentenced to death and that the sentence is due to be carried out on January 14.”
Soltani has reportedly been charged with “waging war against God,” an offence that carries the death penalty under Iranian law, The US Sun reported. Supporters of Soltani have claimed that he was denied access to legal counsel and not given an opportunity to defend himself before a death sentence by hanging was handed down.
Activists have also said that Soltani was allowed to meet his family for only 10 minutes on January 11 to say goodbye.
As per reports, Soltani's sister, a licensed lawyer, has been blocked from accessing his case file and prevented from representing him in court.
Crackdown Intensifies As Death Count Mounts
Tehran has launched a violent crackdown on the protests, branding those involved as “rioters.”
According to a Reuters report, about 2,000 people including security personnel have been killed in protests. US-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 646 people by late January 12, including 505 protesters, 113 members of the military and security forces, and seven bystanders, while investigations were ongoing into a further 579 reported deaths. HRANA added that 10,721 people have been arrested since the protests began on December 28.
US President Donald Trump has warned Tehran that violence against protesters could trigger a military response from Washington. The White House said on January 12 that the US was weighing whether to bomb Iran.
In response, Iran warned it would target American military and commercial sites if struck first. According to The US Sun, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is not seeking war but is fully prepared for war.”
Protests Shift From Economic Anger To Regime Challenge
Iran has witnessed sustained demonstrations over rising inflation, plummeting currency and a never-ending economic crisis. The crisis is a result of America's decades-long crippling economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
The protests initially began with shopkeepers demonstrating against soaring prices but have since evolved into a broader movement demanding the removal of Khamenei.
