In a concerning development, the Iranian judiciary has denied reports that it had scheduled the execution of Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old man arrested in connection with the country’s recent protests. The Norway-based Kurdish human rights organization Hengaw had earlier this week stated that Soltani’s family had been informed of his impending execution on Wednesday, just days after his detention.
However, the Iranian judiciary has dismissed these reports as a “blatant act of news fabrication,” stating that Soltani faces charges of “colluding against national security” and “propaganda activities against the establishment,” which are not punishable by the death penalty. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also stated in an interview that there was “no plan” to execute anyone.
The denial comes after US President Donald Trump warned Iran not to execute protesters, threatening to take “very strong action” if executions were carried out. Trump later told reporters that “very important sources on the other side” had informed him that “the killing in Iran is stopping, and there’s no plan for execution.”
Soltani, a clothing shop owner, was arrested at his home last Thursday in connection with the protests in the northern city of Fardis, west of Tehran, according to the human rights group and his family. However, the judiciary claims he was arrested during “riots” on Saturday and is being held in a prison in the neighboring city of Karaj.
A relative of Soltani, speaking to the BBC from Europe, expressed concern for his well-being, stating that he had not had access to a defense lawyer and that his family was under significant pressure from the authorities. The relative described Soltani as a “very calm, very kind person” who had “thousands of hopes for himself and other young people.”
The current wave of protests in Iran began after shopkeepers in Tehran went on strike over the rising cost of living and the depreciating value of the currency. The protests quickly spread across the country and turned against Iran’s clerical establishment, particularly Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to human rights groups, the protests have been met with a brutal crackdown by Iranian authorities, with at least 2,453 protesters killed and 18,470 arrested since the unrest began. The US Treasury Department has also imposed sanctions on several senior Iranian officials it accuses of being “the architects of the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators.”
As the situation in Iran remains tense, the international community continues to closely monitor the government’s response to the ongoing protests and calls for accountability for the alleged human rights abuses.