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Iran Sets Execution of 26-Year-Old Protester for Wednesday, Rights Group Says

Rights monitors say he was denied legal counsel under expedited special-tribunal procedures.

Overview

  • The Kurdish-Iranian NGO Hengaw reports that Erfan Soltani is scheduled to be executed on Jan. 14 after an accelerated process.
  • Relatives say Soltani had no access to a lawyer and was granted only a 10‑minute family visit following his Jan. 8 arrest at his home in Karaj.
  • Rights groups describe this as the first publicly announced execution linked to the protest movement that began in December 2025 after special tribunals were authorized by Ali Khamenei.
  • Casualty figures from the unrest are sharply disputed, with a government source telling Reuters about 2,000 deaths while HRANA cites 538 deaths and more than 10,670 detentions.
  • UN human-rights chief Volker Türk expressed horror at the crackdown, and Iran Human Rights warned of a risk of further executions as internet restrictions impede independent verification.