Tehran: Iranian state media has denied that Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old Iranian man arrested during anti-government protests in Karaj near the capital Tehran, has been sentenced to death.
The clarification follows warnings from international human rights organisations, which had claimed Soltani was facing imminent execution, triggering sharp reactions from Washington.
According to reports citing Iran’s judiciary, Soltani is currently imprisoned in Karaj after his arrest on January 10 during the protests. He is facing charges of spreading propaganda against Iran’s Islamic system and acting against national security.
In a statement carried by state television, the judiciary stressed that Soltani has not been sentenced to death and added that, under Iranian law, the charges against him do not carry the death penalty. If convicted, the punishment would be imprisonment.
Earlier, at least two human rights groups warned that Soltani had already been sentenced to death. The US State Department echoed these concerns, saying he would be the first protester executed during the current wave of unrest, adding that Soltani might not be the last. These claims intensified international pressure on Tehran.
Following the reports, former US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened Iran with action if it proceeded with executing protesters. However, he later signalled a possible pause in military action, saying he had received assurances that the Iranian government was stopping the killing of people involved in the protests against the regime led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Speaking to reporters, US President Donald Trump said that he had been informed by “very important sources on the other side” that the killings had stopped. Trump added that he would be ‘very upset’ if the crackdown continued. When asked whether military action was now off the table, the President noted that he would continue to watch developments and assess ‘what the process is.’
The comments marked a shift in tone from a day earlier, when he urged Iranians to continue protesting against the Khamenei government and vowed to ‘act accordingly’ after being briefed on reports of protesters being killed. At the time, Trump posted on social media that ‘help is on the way.’
POPULAR | BTS set to return with new album and major world tour
