Shafaq News – Tehran
Iran’s judiciary on Thursday ruled out issuing any death sentence against 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, who was detained during recent protests, state media reported.
Judicial authorities confirmed that Soltani has been held since January 10 at Karaj Central Prison, west of Tehran, on charges of “conspiracy against internal security” and “propaganda activities against the system,” stressing that capital punishment does not apply to such accusations if established before the court.
The clarification came after remarks earlier this week by Iran’s chief justice, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, who called for swift trials and punishments for “rioters” —a term officials have used to refer to the protesters— according to a video shared by the semiofficial Tasnim news agency. “Those elements who beheaded people in the streets or burned people alive must be tried and punished as quickly as possible,” he noted. “If we don’t do it fast, it won’t have the same impact.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, however, denied in remarks with Fox News that Tehran plans to execute protesters, confirming that “hanging is out of the question.”
The protests erupted nationwide after the Iranian rial fell to a record low of about 1.45 million to the US dollar, fueling sharp increases in food prices and inflation before demonstrations spread across multiple provinces. The unrest has drawn international attention, including from US President Donald Trump, who has voiced support for protesters and warned of consequences if demonstrators are killed, telling CBS Evening News that Washington would take “very strong action” if executions were carried out.
Casualty figures remain disputed. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported at least 2,571 deaths so far, including protesters, government-affiliated individuals, minors, and civilians not involved in demonstrations, while Iranian officials have acknowledged an overall death toll of around 2,000.
Read more: Iran’s protests between economic crisis and political contestation