Iranian authorities are preparing to execute 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, who would become the first protester put to death in connection with the ongoing anti-government demonstrations that have swept the country since late December. Soltani was detained at his home in Fardis on January 8, and just four days later his family was notified that a death sentence had been issued and confirmed. Human rights organizations report that the execution by hanging is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14.
The case has drawn international condemnation due to severe due process violations. According to sources close to his family, Soltani did not have access to a lawyer and no trial was conducted to hear his case. The Norway-based human rights group Hengaw reported that Soltani's sister, who is a lawyer herself, has been denied access to her brother's file. The death sentence was issued following what observers describe as a rapid and opaque judicial process that bypassed basic legal protections.
The execution threat comes as Iran's brutal crackdown on protesters has reached devastating proportions. Human rights organizations estimate that at least 2,572 people have been killed since demonstrations erupted on December 28 over economic grievances before expanding into calls for an end to theocratic rule. More than 10,000 people have reportedly been arrested in recent weeks for participating in anti-government protests, according to rights groups monitoring the situation.
Iran's top judge has signaled that fast trials and executions await those detained during the nationwide protests against the country's theocracy. The judiciary has established special courts to process cases at unprecedented speed, with activists warning that dozens more protesters may face similar fates. Since January 8, when Soltani was arrested, Iranian authorities have imposed a near-total internet blackout, with monitoring organization NetBlocks reporting that 99 percent of Iran's internet has been offline.
President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Tehran against executing protesters, stating that the United States would take strong action if the executions proceed. The State Department confirmed that Iran was planning to execute Soltani on Wednesday. Trump declared that when countries start killing thousands of people and proceeding with hangings, there would be consequences, adding that it would not work out well for the Iranian regime.
The protests began as demonstrations against Iran's failing economy but quickly transformed into the most significant challenge to the Islamic Republic since its founding in 1979. Demonstrators have called for the end of the theocratic system and directed anger at Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The government has responded with lethal force, deploying security services and Revolutionary Guards to suppress the uprising.
International human rights organizations have called on global leaders to intervene and prevent the executions. Amnesty International described the planned execution as a grave violation of international law, noting that Soltani appears to have been sentenced without any semblance of due process. The European Union has also condemned Iran's crackdown and called for the immediate release of all detained protesters.
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