Erfan Soltani, arrested after Karaj protests, faces execution in Iran; international attention grows over human rights violations.
A 26-year-old Erfan Soltani ,who was arrested just last week amid widespread protests and a crackdown by the Khamenei-led government will be executed by Iran on Wednesday.
In relation to protests in the neighboring city of Karaj, Erfan Soltani, a native of Fardis, west of Tehran, was taken into custody. Concerns about the growing death toll associated with the ongoing turmoil have been heightened by his situation.
According to a family member, “the court issued a death sentence in an extremely rapid process, within just two days, and the family was told that he is due to be executed [this] Wednesday.”
Sources close to the family claim that Soltani was taken into custody on January 8 and given a death sentence without a trial. The sentence is set to be executed on Wednesday, the family was told on Monday. It’s yet unclear what specific charges he faces.
Soltani’s case is gaining attention since it may be the first execution connected to the most recent round of demonstrations against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s Islamic Republic.
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In the meantime, US President Donald Trump sent a stern warning to Tehran, stating that if the crackdown continues to include executions, Washington will react forcefully.
In response to rumors that hangings would start as early as Wednesday, Trump – “We will take very strong actions if they do such thing.”
Additionally, he reaffirmed a statement he had previously made on social media, stating that “help is on its way” for Iranian demonstrators. “I hear numbers—look, one death is too much — but I hear much lower numbers, and then I hear much higher numbers,” Trump stated in reference to casualties.
With a significant number of demonstrators taking to the streets nationwide, Iran is currently experiencing one of the most severe bouts of unrest in decades. In response, the authorities shut down communication and internet services, cutting off many Iranians from the outside world.
At least 2,571 people were killed as of early Wednesday, according to the News Agency , which has followed earlier waves of unrest in Iran.