Iran to hang 26-year-old in alleged first execution over protests,
Iran is reportedly preparing to carry out the execution of a protester on Wednesday following widespread arrests tied to ongoing anti-regime demonstrations, according to human rights organizations.
Erfan Soltani, 26, is alleged to be scheduled for execution by hanging after being arrested during protests in the city of Karaj last Thursday, according to Iran Human Rights (IHR) and the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFD).
IHR said Soltani’s family was informed that he had received a death sentence and that the execution was set for January 14. NUFD, which is urging international intervention to halt the execution, said Soltani’s “only crime is calling for freedom for Iran.”
Human rights groups say Soltani has been denied access to legal counsel and has not been able to mount a defense.
Iranian authorities have reportedly charged him with “waging war against God,” an offense that carries the death penalty under Iranian law. The reported execution order has not been independently confirmed, as Iran continues to enforce a nationwide communications blackout.
Soltani is among more than 10,000 people reportedly detained over the past two weeks amid protests driven by Iran’s worsening economic conditions. The government has responded with a harsh crackdown, labeling demonstrators as “rioters.” Human rights organizations estimate that more than 500 people have been killed since the protests began.
IHR Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam warned that the death toll could rise, saying Iranian authorities may carry out executions to intimidate protesters.
“The risk of mass and extrajudicial executions of protesters is extremely serious,” Amiry-Moghaddam said. He called on the international community to act under the Responsibility to Protect doctrine to safeguard civilians from further violence by the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
President Trump has warned Tehran that continued violence against protesters could prompt a military response from the United States. The White House confirmed Monday that Trump was considering potential military options, including strikes against Iran.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said diplomacy remains Trump’s preferred approach but emphasized that he is prepared to use force if necessary. “He certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran, and unfortunately that is what we are seeing,” she said.
Iranian officials have responded with threats of retaliation, warning that any U.S. attack would be met with strikes against American forces in the region. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is “fully prepared for war.”
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