Who is Erfan Soltani, anti-Khamenei protester facing execution in Iran over ‘waging war against God’?

Iranian authorities may execute protester Erfan Soltani amid widespread unrest. His death sentence follows protests against economic issues in the country.

Iranian authorities are allegedly preparing to carry out what human rights groups warn could be the first execution linked to the current wave of anti-government protests, with 26-year-old protester Erfan Soltani at the centre of international concern.

The protests have led to over 10,000 arrests and 500 deaths, with human rights groups expressing concerns that these planned executions are meant to suppress dissent.

Reports from rights groups and media outlets say Soltani was arrested during demonstrations in Karaj and has since been sentenced to death, though details remain difficult to independently verify due to a nationwide communications blackout.

Who is Erfan Soltani?

1. Erfan Soltani is a 26-year-old Iranian protester detained for participating in nationwide demonstrations against the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, human rights groups warn.
2. He is a resident of Fardis in the Karaj suburb near Tehran, an area that has seen active protests.
3. Soltani was arrested on January 8 while taking part in anti-government protests, New York Post reported.
4. Human rights groups say his family was informed that he has been sentenced to death, with the execution reportedly scheduled for January 14.
5. The National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFD) claims his “only crime” was calling for freedom, and has appealed for international intervention to stop the execution.
6. Soltani has allegedly been denied access to legal counsel and has been unable to properly defend himself, the report noted.
7. He is reportedly charged with “waging war against God,” an offence punishable by death under Iranian law.
8. His family was told the sentence is final, and they were allowed only a brief visit after being informed of the death sentence, the India Today report stated.
9. Soltani’s sister, a licensed lawyer, has reportedly been blocked from accessing his case file and prevented from representing him.

What is happening in Iran?

The protests that led to Soltani’s arrest erupted across Iran in late December and early January, driven by severe economic distress, including inflation, a collapsing currency and rising prices for basic goods.

What began as economic protests has expanded into a nationwide movement demanding political change and an end to clerical rule, with demonstrations spreading from Tehran’s bazaars to cities across the country.

Iranian authorities have responded with a brutal crackdown, arresting more than 10,000 people and killing over 500 protesters in just two weeks, as per local human rights groups cited in the report.

Officials have dismissed protesters as “rioters,” while rights groups warn that executions may be used as a deterrent to crush dissent.