Iran is set to execute a 26 year old man on Wednesday in what would mark the first hanging linked to the widespread anti government protests that have engulfed the country since late December.
Erfan Soltani, a 26 year old resident of Fardis, a suburb of Karaj near Tehran, was arrested on January 8, 2026, for participating in the widespread protests. Sources close to the family told Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) that his family were told that he had been sentenced to death and that the sentence is due to be carried out on 14 January. The family has reportedly been granted only a brief opportunity for a final visit prior to the execution.
Soltani has been charged with waging war against God, an offence punishable by death under Iranian law. According to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights and other organizations, Soltani was deprived of fundamental legal rights as soon as he was taken into custody. His family has been denied access to any information regarding the charges, case file, or judicial proceedings.
IHRNGO Director Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam said in a statement that the widespread killing of civilian protesters in recent days by the Islamic Republic is reminiscent of the regime’s crimes in the 1980s, which have been recognized as crimes against humanity. The organization warned of a serious risk of mass and extrajudicial executions of protesters.
The National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFD), a United States based nonprofit organization, is calling for international support to halt Soltani’s execution. The group stated that his only crime was calling for freedom for Iran.
The death toll over 16 days of mass anti government protests in Iran reached 646 as of Monday, according to data published by the the US based Human Rights Activists News Agency. At least 10,721 people have been arrested in protests that have been recorded in 606 locations in 187 cities across all 31 Iranian provinces.
Since 8 January, Iran has enforced a nationwide internet shutdown, with NetBlocks estimating that around 99 percent of internet access has been cut off. The blackout makes it difficult to verify arrests, deaths, and legal proceedings. Human rights groups have drawn parallels to a similar blackout in November 2019 that coincided with mass killings of protesters, with estimates later putting that death toll as high as 1,500.
United States President Donald Trump told Fox News last week that he has put Iran on notice and that if the regime shoots at demonstrators the US will hit Iran very hard. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the private messages to the administration differ from the regime’s public statements. She confirmed that diplomacy remains Trump’s first option but noted the president has shown he is unafraid to use military options if deemed necessary.
Trump on Monday announced a 25 percent tariff on any country doing business with Iran. China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Brazil and Russia are among economies that do business with Tehran.
Iranian experts say the country’s regime is the weakest it has been since the Islamic Republic came into existence in 1979. The demonstrations began over the collapse of Iran’s currency in an economy already squeezed by international sanctions and have spread into calls to end the country’s theocracy.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has described protesters as vandals and rioters, saying the Islamic Republic would not back down. Iranian officials have also described protesters as enemies of God and terrorists, linking them to Israel and the United States, offenses that are punishable by death.
