A young Iranian protester is facing execution just days after being arrested, in a shocking escalation of the country’s brutal crackdown on dissent.
Erfan Soltani, 26, was detained on Saturday in the city of Fardis near Tehran during the ongoing wave of anti-government protests. According to reports, he has been charged with “waging war against God,” a crime in Iran that carries the death penalty. Activists say Soltani was denied legal counsel and had no opportunity to defend himself before receiving a death sentence by hanging. He was reportedly allowed only ten minutes with his family to say goodbye. The National Union for Democracy in Iran condemned the sentence, saying, “Erfan's only crime was calling for freedom.”
If carried out, his execution would be the first of a protester since the nationwide uprising began last year. Iranian courts are now reportedly fast-tracking trials of those accused of leading unrest.
The crackdown has already claimed hundreds of lives. Protests, which began over economic struggles and soaring inflation, have spread across all 31 provinces of Iran, with demonstrations in 585 locations. At least 544 people have been killed, including eight children, and more than 10,000 have been arrested, among them 169 minors. Among the victims is 26-year-old football referee Amir Mohammad Koohkan, who was fatally shot in Neyriz. A friend recalled him as “everyone knew him for his kindness.”
Footage circulating online shows dozens of body bags outside Tehran’s coroner’s office as families wait to identify loved ones. Security forces have been accused of directly killing protesters in attempts to suppress the uprising.
In response to the unrest, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has vowed to punish protest leaders severely, ordering that they face death and immediate execution. There are fears that some of these executions could be carried out publicly as a warning to others.
Meanwhile, tensions between Iran and the U.S. are escalating. Donald Trump, a long-time critic of Tehran, has threatened military action following the crackdown, despite Iran requesting negotiations. Iranian officials have responded by warning that any attack on their soil would be met with strong retaliation, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is not seeking war but is fully prepared for war.”
Iran has a long history of harsh punishments, and in 2025 alone, at least 1,200 prisoners were executed. Observers worry that the government is trying to cover up the scale of the crisis, including by imposing an internet blackout last week.
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