Erfan Soltani, Iranian Protester Who Reportedly Faced a Death Sentence, Is Released on Bail

Mr. Soltani, 26, was arrested last month as Iran brutally repressed anti-government demonstrations.An image of Erfan Soltani provided by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.Credit...Via Hengaw Organization for Human RightsFeb. 2, 2026, 7:04 a.m. ETAn Iranian protester who drew global attention last month after he was widely reported to be awaiting execution has been released on bail, according to a human rights group and an Iranian state media outlet.The protester, Erfan Soltani, 26, was arrested last month during anti-government protests that Iranian authorities crushed in a deadly crackdown.The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which is based in Norway and has monitored the demonstrations in Iran, said in a statement that Mr. Soltani had been released on Saturday.A lawyer for Mr. Soltani told the Agence France-Presse news agency that a bail of two billion tomans, or around $16,000, had been paid for his release, and that Mr. Soltani had been set free with all of his belongings, including his mobile phone.Mr. Soltani’s release comes as the United States has amassed forces near Iran. President Trump had threatened U.S. action to stop the killing of protesters by Iranian security forces, but since the protests were quashed, he has said he is weighing new military moves against the Iranian government if it does not agree to various demands, including a deal to end its nuclear enrichment program.Reports last month that Mr. Soltani has been sentenced to death quickly drew international condemnation, although Iranian authorities later said that they had not issued a death sentence against him. Press TV, an Iranian state media outlet, said on Monday that Mr. Soltani had been released on bail, without elaborating. It described him as “one of the detainees of the recent foreign-backed riots in Iran, who some foreign media outlets had previously claimed was sentenced to death.”Mr. Soltani was arrested in early January at his home west of the capital, Tehran, and was denied access to a lawyer or other means to mount a defense, rights advocates have said.The Hengaw group said in a statement at the time that Mr. Soltani’s family had been kept unaware of the judicial proceedings and had been allowed only a brief, final visit before a rapidly scheduled execution.Iranian state media had previously cited Iran’s judiciary as saying that Mr. Soltani faced “charges of assembly and collusion against national security and propaganda against the system.”Iran’s government has said the protests began as legitimate demonstrations by people expressing their economic grievances, but quickly escalated into riots organized by foreign infiltrators. The Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of being behind the violence.Mr. Soltani’s family has said that he had never engaged in violence and had merely been seeking basic freedoms for Iranians.Aurelien Breeden is a reporter for The Times in Paris, covering news from France.SKIP Site IndexNewsHome PageU.S.WorldPoliticsNew YorkEducationSportsBusinessTechScienceWeatherThe Great ReadObituariesHeadwayVisual InvestigationsThe MagazineArtsBook ReviewBest Sellers Book ListDanceMoviesMusicPop CultureTelevisionTheaterVisual ArtsLifestyleHealthWellFoodRestaurant ReviewsLoveTravelStyleFashionReal EstateT MagazineOpinionToday's OpinionColumnistsEditorialsGuest EssaysOp-DocsLettersSunday OpinionOpinion VideoOpinion AudioMoreAudioGamesCookingWirecutterThe AthleticJobsVideoGraphicsTrendingLive EventsCorrectionsReader CenterTimesMachineThe Learning NetworkSchool of The NYTinEducationAccountSubscribeManage My AccountHome DeliveryGift SubscriptionsGroup SubscriptionsGift ArticlesEmail NewslettersNYT LicensingReplica EditionTimes Store