First execution of Iranian protester: Khamenei-led regime to hang 26-year-old Erfan Soltani — who is he?

Iran on Wednesday to execute a 26-year-old man who was detained only last week amid mass protests and a sweeping crackdown by the Khamenei-led regime.

Erfan Soltani, a resident of Fardis, west of Tehran, was arrested in connection with protests in the nearby city of Karaj. His case has intensified concerns over the rising death toll linked to the ongoing unrest.

A relative told BBC Persian that “in an extremely rapid process, within just two days, the court issued a death sentence, and the family was told that he is due to be executed [this] Wednesday”.





According to sources close to the family, Soltani was arrested on January 8 and sentenced to death without a trial. The family was informed on Monday that the sentence is scheduled to be carried out on Wednesday. The exact charges against him remain unclear.

Soltani’s case is drawing attention as a possible first execution linked to the latest wave of protests against the Islamic Republic under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Also read | Iran to hang anti-Khamenei protesters: Trump vows 'strong action'; assures 'help on its way'

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to Tehran, saying Washington would respond strongly if executions proceed as part of the crackdown.

“We will take very strong actions if they do such thing,” Trump told CBS News, when asked about reports that hangings could begin as early as Wednesday.

He also reiterated a message he had earlier posted on social media, saying that “help is on its way” for Iranian protesters. Referring to casualties, Trump said, “I hear numbers -- look, one death is too much -- but I hear much lower numbers, and then I hear much higher numbers.”

Iran is witnessing one of the most serious waves of unrest in decades, with large numbers of protesters taking to the streets across the country. The government has responded by shutting down internet and communication services, leaving many Iranians cut off from the outside world.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which has tracked previous rounds of unrest in Iran, reports that at least 2,571 people have been killed as of early Wednesday.