Iranian Protester Erfan Soltani Had Just 10 Minutes to Say Goodbye to His Family Before January 14 Execution

An Iranian protester facing the death penalty was reportedly given just 10 minutes to say goodbye to his family before a planned execution, as authorities intensify a sweeping crackdown on nationwide anti-government demonstrations that have already claimed hundreds of lives.

Erfan Soltani, 26, was arrested on 8 January during protests in Fardis, near the city of Karaj. Human rights groups say his family was informed days later that he had been sentenced to death, with the execution scheduled for 14 January. The speed of the process and the lack of basic legal safeguards have prompted urgent warnings of further executions to come.

Arrest And Rapid Death Sentence

According to sources cited by Iran Human Rights, Soltani was detained amid a wave of mass arrests following protests that erupted in late December over worsening economic conditions. Activists say he was denied access to a lawyer and did not receive a formal trial. His family was allegedly allowed only a brief, tightly supervised visit shortly before the execution date, a moment supporters describe as a final farewell.

Iranian authorities have not publicly detailed the charges against Soltani, but rights groups believe he was accused of moharebeh, or 'waging war against God', an offence that carries the death penalty under Iranian law. Officials have repeatedly used such language to describe protesters, along with terms such as 'rioters' and 'terrorists'.

Death Toll From Protests Continues To Rise

The case comes as Iran Human Rights reports that at least 648 protesters have been killed since the demonstrations began on 28 December. The organisation says the figure includes nine children under the age of 18 and is based only on cases it has been able to independently verify. Thousands more are believed to have been injured.

Unverified reports suggest the true number of deaths could be significantly higher, but a near-total internet blackout imposed on 8 January has made independent confirmation extremely difficult. More than 10,000 people are estimated to have been arrested nationwide.

Fears of First Execution in Current Uprising

Rights groups warn that Soltani's execution could be the first carried out against a protester during the current wave of unrest. Iranian officials have signalled an intention to fast-track cases through special branches of the Revolutionary Courts, raising fears of rapid convictions without fair trial standards.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights, has warned that the situation mirrors the mass killings and executions carried out by the Iranian state in the 1980s, which have since been recognised as crimes against humanity. He has urged the international community to act swiftly to prevent further loss of life.

Internet Shutdown and Information Blackout

Since the nationwide shutdown began, monitoring group NetBlocks estimate that around 99% of Iran's internet access has been cut. Limited connectivity via satellite services has been reported, though activists say signal jamming has restricted even those channels. The blackout has heightened concerns that deaths and executions could take place without documentation or scrutiny.

Hospitals and morgues in several cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad and Shiraz, have reportedly seen large numbers of bodies. Footage circulated before the blackout showed rows of body bags awaiting identification by families.

Official Response And Rising International Tension

Iranian leaders have adopted a defiant stance. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has dismissed protesters as 'vandals' and vowed that the state will not back down. President Masoud Pezeshkian has echoed that language, calling demonstrators 'terrorists' and urging supporters of the government to counter protests in their neighbourhoods.

The crackdown has also intensified international tensions, with foreign governments and rights organisations warning that executions of protesters would mark a dangerous escalation. With Soltani's case unfolding at speed, campaigners fear it may signal the beginning of a broader wave of death sentences aimed at crushing dissent across Iran.