Iran to Execute Protestor Erfan Soltani on Wednesday for Unspecified "Rebellion Against God."

Tehran, Iran – January 12, 2026 – Human rights organizations and international media outlets are raising urgent alarms over reports that Iranian authorities plan to execute a 26-year-old protester, Erfan Soltani, as early as Wednesday, January 14, 2026. This would mark the first reported execution linked to the ongoing nationwide anti-government protests that erupted in late December 2025.

According to Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), Soltani was arrested on January 8, 2026, in Fardis, a suburb of Karaj near Tehran, for his participation in the demonstrations. Sources close to his family informed the group that authorities notified relatives on January 12 that he had been sentenced to death by hanging, with the execution scheduled for January 14. The family was reportedly granted only a brief, approximately 10-minute final visit.

Multiple reports, including from Hengaw Organization for Human Rights and advocacy groups such as the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDIran), indicate that Soltani was denied access to a lawyer, received no opportunity to defend himself, and underwent no known formal trial. The specific charges against him have not been publicly confirmed by authorities, though such cases in Iran frequently involve accusations like "moharebeh" (waging war against God), a capital offense.

The protests, which began around December 28, 2025, initially focused on economic grievances such as rising living costs and inflation before rapidly escalating into widespread calls for an end to the rule of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic. As of January 12, IHRNGO has documented at least 648 protesters killed, including nine children under 18, with thousands more injured and an estimated 10,000 or more arrested amid a severe security crackdown involving live ammunition, internet restrictions, and attacks on medical facilities.

This case has drawn sharp international condemnation, with activists warning it signals the potential start of summary or fast-track executions intended to intimidate further dissent. Media outlets including India Today, The US Sun, and others have described the proceedings as lacking due process, raising fears of extrajudicial punishment.

Iranian authorities have not issued an official public statement confirming or denying the details of Soltani's case as of this reporting. The situation remains highly fluid, with human rights monitors calling for immediate global intervention to prevent the execution and ensure fair judicial proceedings for all detainees.