WARNING: This article contains distressing content and descriptions of state-sanctioned executions.
As anti-government unrest continues to sweep Iran, rights groups have raised the alarm over a rapid escalation in the judicial crackdown, including the scheduled execution of a 26-year-old shopkeeper in what appears to be a hurried and opaque legal process.
Erfan Soltani, a shopkeeper from Fardis, was reportedly arrested at his home last week for allegedly participating in protests. According to information from human rights monitors, Soltani was given only 10 minutes to say goodbye to his family and is scheduled to be hanged on Wednesday. His family states he was denied access to a lawyer and, to their knowledge, no formal trial was held.
The case is seen by observers as part of a broader strategy by the Iranian government to instill fear and suppress dissent following weeks of nationwide protests triggered by economic hardship and inflation. The government has acknowledged at least 2,000 deaths since the unrest began, though independent estimates are believed to be higher.
A Grim History of Execution Methods
Iran has one of the highest rates of capital punishment in the world, with over 972 executions recorded in 2024 alone. Human rights organizations have long condemned the methods employed, which under Iranian law can include public hanging, stoning, firing squad, beheading, and being thrown from a height.
In cases of public execution, cranes are sometimes used, resulting in what Iran Human Rights describes as a slow and painful death by suffocation and strangulation that can last several minutes. While international pressure has reduced the use of stoning in recent years, such punishments remain legally sanctioned.
Awyar Shekhi of the human rights organization Hengaw noted the unprecedented speed of Soltani’s case: “We have never witnessed a case move so quickly. The government is using every tactic they know to suppress people and spread fear.”
International Condemnation and Domestic Fear
The situation has drawn sharp international criticism, with U.S. President Donald Trump recently warning of potential military action if civilian deaths continue. The threat has added another layer of tension, with some Iranians expressing skepticism about foreign intervention while others see it as a potential turning point.
A Tehran shopkeeper identified as Mahmoud told reporters, “I don’t expect Trump or any other foreign country cares about the interests of Iranians.”
Nevertheless, the prospect of mass state executions and continued violent repression has left many citizens in a state of anxiety and defiance. “People—particularly young ones—are hopeless but they talk about continuing the protests,” said Reza, a taxi driver.
As the world watches, the planned execution of Erfan Soltani has become a symbol of the Iranian government’s severe response to dissent and a focal point for global human rights advocates urging immediate intervention to prevent further loss of life.
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