26-year-old protester in Iran sentenced to death

Warning: This article mentions death.

Iranian authorities continue to issue death sentences against protesters, including a 26-year-old detainee.

Erfan Soltani, a resident of Fardis in the Karaj suburb near Tehran, is expected to be hanged on Wednesday, 14 January, just days after his arrest on January 8 for protesting against the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and the country’s ongoing economic crisis.

He was charged with “waging war against God,” a grave crime in Iran that carries the death penalty.

According to The U.S. Sun, Soltani was denied access to legal counsel during his prosecution. His sister, a licensed lawyer, was also reportedly barred from accessing his case file and representing him in court.

Soltani’s family said the case went through “an extremely rapid process,” with the court issuing a death sentence within just two days, BBC reported.

The family was allowed to speak with him for only 10 minutes on 11 January, just enough time to say their farewells.

In 2022, at least 10 people were executed following the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests.

Source: NDTV World