A 26-year-old man arrested during anti-regime protests in Iran is facing imminent execution, a human rights group has warned, as former US President Donald Trump urged demonstrators to continue and cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials.
Rapid Judicial Process and International Reaction
According to the Norway-based Kurdish rights organisation Hengaw, Erfan Soltani from Fardis, west of Tehran, is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday. The group stated that his family had been informed of the death sentence but were deliberately kept in the dark about the judicial proceedings.
Hengaw said Mr Soltani was arrested in connection with protests in the city of Karaj and condemned what it called a "rapid and opaque judicial process." The group warned that this rushed handling heightened concerns the death penalty was being used as a tool to suppress public dissent.
The report emerged as Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, calling for Iranians to "keep protesting" and promising "help is on its way." He announced he had cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the "senseless killings" stop, adding that abusers would "pay a big price."
Escalating Unrest and Mounting Death Toll
The current wave of protests began in Tehran on 29 December, triggered by shopkeepers striking against the collapse of the Iranian currency. The demonstrations have since spread nationwide.
On Tuesday, the US-based rights group HRANA reported the death toll from the unrest had climbed to 2003 people. This figure included:
- 1,850 protesters
- 135 government-affiliated individuals
- 9 people under the age of 18
- 9 non-protester civilians
In response to the intensifying protests, Iranian authorities blocked internet and telephone connections on 9 January. A brief restoration of phone service on Tuesday allowed witnesses to report a heavy security presence in central Tehran, with burned-out government buildings and smashed ATMs.
A Regime Under Threat and Economic Strife
The demonstrations represent the most significant challenge to Iran's Islamic leadership since the 1979 revolution. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei used a state TV address on Monday to criticise the US and praise pro-government rally attendees.
Iran's economy has been struggling under the weight of high inflation and US sanctions, first reimposed under the Trump administration in 2018 and again by the UN in September. Mr Trump further escalated pressure on Monday, announcing 25% tariffs on any countries doing business with Iran.
The country also suffered significant blows during a 12-day war in June, which saw American and Israeli strikes target its nuclear facilities, adding to the profound domestic and international crises facing the regime.
