Iran’s judiciary denies plans to hang detained protester Erfan

International Desk
Iran’s judiciary has said it has no plans to execute a young man detained on charges related to recent protests. The Norway-based Kurdish human rights group Henggao also claimed that the family of 26-year-old Erfan Soltani was informed that he could be hanged on Wednesday – just days after his arrest.

On Wednesday, Hengao said Soltani’s family had been informed that his execution had been “stayed,” but that “serious and ongoing concerns” remained about his life. Commenting on the news, US President Donald Trump said, “That’s good news. Hopefully, it will continue.” He had previously warned Iran that there would be “severe action” if protesters were executed.

According to the Iranian judiciary, Erfan Soltani has been charged with “conspiracy against national security” and “anti-state propaganda activities,” which are not punishable by death, according to state broadcaster IRIB. The judiciary has called reports of his execution in foreign media “clearly false news.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said in a US television interview that there were “no plans” to execute anyone by hanging. The comments came as Trump threatened to take “very strong action” if executions were carried out and speculation grew of a possible US military strike. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that “very important sources on the other side” had told him that the killings were stopping in Iran and that there were no plans for executions.

According to Henggao and Soltani’s family, he was arrested at his home on Thursday for his alleged involvement in protests in the city of Fardis, west of northern Tehran. However, the judiciary claims he was detained during Saturday’s “riots” and is currently being held in a prison in the neighboring city of Karaj.

Speaking to the BBC from Europe, Soltani’s cousin, Somaya, said he was still in prison and receiving very little news because the internet was down. She said a message received via Starlink satellite internet said Irfan had no defence lawyer and that his family was under intense pressure from the authorities.

“Irfan is the heart of the family. He is a very calm and kind person,” said Somaya. She said that Irfan loved photography, sports and animals and only wanted “basic rights” for himself and the people of Iran. According to her, the government wanted to stop the protests by intimidating people by hanging Irfan.

Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department said on Thursday that President Trump had imposed new sanctions on five top Iranian officials, accusing them of being “architects of the brutal crackdown” on peaceful protesters. The sanctions list includes Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and top commanders of the Revolutionary Guard and police in Lorestan and Fars provinces.

The director of the Iranian Human Rights Organization responded to the judiciary’s statement, saying that it is not uncommon in Iran for detainees and their families to be threatened with death sentences. Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ajeh called for the swift trial and punishment of the arrested “rioters.”

Human rights groups claim that at least 12 people have been hanged in the past three years on charges related to the 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” movement. They say the verdicts were based on confessions extracted through torture and grossly unfair trials.

The recent protests, which began with a shopkeepers’ strike in Tehran to protest rising living costs and the devaluation of the currency, quickly spread across the country, morphing into slogans against the clerical regime led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Authorities used deadly force and almost completely shut down the internet and communications systems to suppress the protests.

According to the US-based human rights organization HRANA, at least 2,453 protesters have been killed and around 18,470 arrested since the violence began. Iran Human Rights, on the other hand, says at least 3,428 people have been killed by security forces and around 20,000 people have been detained.

Meanwhile, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said a Canadian citizen had died in Iran at the hands of Iranian authorities. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said an Iranian Red Crescent worker was killed and five others were injured while on duty in Gilan province.