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Execution delayed for Iranian protester
The scheduled execution of Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old arrested during recent anti-government protests in Iran, was postponed on Wednesday, according to a Norway-based human rights organization. The Iranian judiciary later denied he had ever been sentenced to death.
Conflicting accounts emerge
Hengaw, a Kurdish rights group, reported that Soltani's family was informed last weekend of an imminent execution set for Wednesday, though no official charges or trial details were provided. By Wednesday evening, the group confirmed the execution had been delayed but expressed grave concerns about his safety.
Iran's judiciary countered these claims on Thursday, stating Soltani faced only security-related charges carrying potential prison terms, not capital punishment.
Rapid trial and family silence
A relative told BBC Persian on Tuesday that a court had issued a death sentence in an "extremely rapid process" spanning just two days. Soltani, a clothing shop owner in Fardis near Tehran, was arrested at his home last Thursday in connection with protests, though authorities provided no further details to his family.
His sister, a lawyer, attempted to intervene but was told there was "nothing to pursue," according to Hengaw's Awyar Shekhi. Shekhi added that Soltani had been denied contact with his family since his arrest, despite Iranian protocol allowing death-row inmates a final visit.
Broader crackdown and internet blackout
Shekhi warned that many others may face similar circumstances, citing the government's violent suppression of protests and an ongoing internet blackout that has obscured information about detainees. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported at least 2,417 protesters killed, including 12 children, alongside 18,434 arrests.
Iran's judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, vowed swift trials for "rioters," prioritizing those accused of "terrorist acts." He announced plans for open trials of key protest figures, though Hengaw condemned Soltani's case as a "clear violation of international human rights law," criticizing its rushed and opaque handling.
International reactions
Former US President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that executions in Iran were "stopping" and that "help is on the way," though he provided no evidence. The US State Department, via its Farsi-language X account, warned that Soltani "won't be the last" protester sentenced to death.
The protests, fueled by economic collapse and demands for political reform, have spread to over 180 cities. At least 12 protesters were executed following the 2022 "Woman, Life, Freedom" demonstrations, triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody. The most recent execution occurred in September, when Mehran Bahramian was hanged after a trial rights groups called unfair.
Uncertainty persists
With international media barred from Iran and communications restricted, verifying detainees' status remains difficult. Hengaw emphasized that Soltani's case reflects a pattern of using the death penalty to suppress dissent, urging global attention to prevent further abuses.
