For several agonising days, the family of 26-year-old Erfan Soltani had no idea where he was after he was detained during Iran’s anti-Khamenei protests. When contact finally came from the country’s security apparatus, it was not to explain the charges against him or inform them of a court hearing. Instead, they were told that Soltani had already been sentenced to death. The message was brief and chilling: the family would be allowed a single meeting with him, lasting just ten minutes, to say their final goodbye.
Erfan Soltani, who was arrested on January 8 for participating in protests against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is scheduled to be executed early on Wednesday, January 14, according to multiple reports. His execution would mark the first hanging directly linked to the ongoing nationwide unrest, which entered its twentieth day on Wednesday. Soltani has been charged with “Moharebeh”, or “enmity against God”, one of the most severe accusations under Iranian law and a charge frequently used against political dissidents and protesters.
Family members say they are living under constant fear and intimidation. Authorities have reportedly warned them not to speak to the media or to anyone outside their immediate circle, threatening that further arrests within the family would follow if they broke their silence. The speed with which Soltani’s case moved from arrest to execution has shocked observers and drawn sharp criticism from legal experts and human rights organisations, who argue that it resembles a summary or “field execution” rather than a judicial process.
The protests sweeping Iran began as demonstrations against soaring inflation and the dramatic collapse of the national currency, but they have since transformed into a broader uprising against the clerical regime itself. Demonstrations have been reported in more than 280 locations across the country. Activists and rights groups estimate that at least 2,000 people have been killed in the government’s crackdown, with nearly 20,000 arrested. Internet services have been largely shut down for days, making independent verification difficult and leaving families and the outside world in the dark about what is happening inside the country.
Despite the communications blackout, activists say some Iranians managed to send images and information abroad using satellite internet services such as Starlink. However, the authorities are believed to have jammed these signals using military-grade equipment and deployed armed militias to raid buildings, confiscate terminals and punish those found using them. Amnesty International has cited Soltani’s case as a warning sign that Iran’s leadership may once again be resorting to swift trials and arbitrary executions as a tool to terrify the population and suppress dissent.
Soltani was arrested near his home in the Fardis district of Karaj on the evening of January 8. For three days, his family received no information about his location or condition. On January 11, security agents finally contacted them, informing them that he was in custody and that a death sentence had already been issued. According to reports, no formal charges were publicly announced, no open court hearing took place and Soltani was denied access to a lawyer throughout the process.
Only after repeated pleas did officials allow Soltani’s family to see him once. The meeting was explicitly described as a final farewell, lasting no more than ten minutes. A source close to the family said that even a relative who is a licensed lawyer was blocked from intervening in the case and was told there was no legal file to review. Security officials reportedly made it clear that the sentence was final and would not be reconsidered.
Under Iranian law, the charge of Moharebeh carries the death penalty and has long been criticised by human rights groups as a vague and politically motivated tool used to silence opposition. Soltani’s family believes he was being held by the Intelligence Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the powerful security force that answers directly to the Supreme Leader and plays a central role in suppressing dissent inside Iran.
Friends and relatives describe Erfan Soltani as an ordinary young man who worked in the clothing industry and had a strong interest in fashion, fitness and bodybuilding. His social media presence reflects a quiet, personal life rather than political activism. According to those close to him, he had received threatening messages from security agencies even before his arrest but refused to stop participating in protests.
Legal experts have raised serious doubts about the legitimacy of the process that led to Soltani’s execution order. Human rights lawyer Mohammad Oliaifard said it is legally impossible under Iran’s own criminal code to arrest and execute someone within such a short time frame. Even with a state-appointed lawyer, he said, the process would normally take at least ten days, and much longer if the accused had independent legal representation and access to appeals.
Journalists and activists have described Soltani’s case as emblematic of a broader strategy by the Iranian authorities: shutting down the internet, killing protesters in the streets and carrying out rapid executions to instil fear and silence society. Iran remains one of the world’s leading executioners, with rights groups reporting nearly 1,000 executions in 2024 alone, the highest number in almost two decades.
As international concern grows, questions remain about how many similar cases may be unfolding beyond public view, hidden by internet blackouts and intimidation. With independent reporting inside Iran nearly impossible, Erfan Soltani’s fate may represent only a small glimpse into the scale of repression currently taking place.
