The execution of Erfan Soltani, the first Iranian protester sentenced to death, has been postponed, according to a family member. Soltani, 26, was arrested last week for participating in protests and was scheduled to be executed Wednesday.
Postponement Confirmed by Prison Authorities
Prison authorities contacted Soltani’s family on Wednesday, hours after his scheduled execution, to inform them of the postponement, without providing further details. Soltani, a clothing shop employee, was arrested in Karaj, a city northwest of Tehran.
“I spoke to his [nuclear] family yesterday and all I know is that they were trying to visit him in prison. I haven’t slept in two days,” said Somayeh, a 45-year-old relative of Soltani’s who lives abroad. Family members anxiously waited until dawn for news, knowing Iranian authorities typically carry out executions around the morning call to prayers.
“I can’t stop thinking about Erfan. The uncertainty is killing me,” Somayeh said. “How can anyone have the heart to put a rope round the neck of such a kind child and send him to die?”
Soltani has become a symbol of defiance for Iranian activists as authorities intensify their crackdown on a nationwide protest movement. Rights groups fear there are many other cases like Soltani’s that are unknown due to an internet blackout in Iran, but his case highlights the speed at which authorities are sentencing protesters.
Soltani was denied access to a lawyer and legal defence, according to the Norway-based Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights. He received the death penalty just four days after his arrest – a time period Iranian human rights activists say deprived him of due process.
Iran’s chief justice signaled Wednesday that trials and executions would be swift, telling state media: “We should do it now” to have an effect on protesters. Other judicial officials said protesters would be charged as “enemies of God,” a crime punishable by death.
More than 18,000 people have been arrested and at least 2,571 killed over the last two weeks, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Protests began on December 28 after a sudden slide in the value of the country’s currency and have since spread nationwide, expanding to demands for political reforms.
Last year, Iran hanged at least 1,500 people, according to Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group. Soltani reportedly received a call from Iranian intelligence a few hours before his arrest, which he ignored, and continued to participate in protests despite threats from security services.
“Our Erfan is a kid who is innocent and peacefully wants to exercise his rights. That’s all he did. Joined his compatriots to peacefully protest,” said Somayeh. His family described him as “the most loving brother” and his “mother’s best friend,” noting his passions for fashion, fitness, and Persepolis FC, a Tehran football club.
“He is someone so dear to my heart, a brave child, a child who would never resort to violence, an incredibly calm and wonderful soul who means more to me than I can put into words. Please, world, help save our child,” Somayeh pleaded.
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