Iran judiciary denies plan to execute detained protester Erfan Soltani

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete January 15, 2026 at 02:54 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Iran's judiciary has denied reports that it planned to execute Erfan Soltani, a man detained in connection with recent protests. The denial follows reports from a Kurdish human rights organization that Soltani's family was told his execution was scheduled for Wednesday. The judiciary stated Soltani faces charges of "colluding against national security" and "propaganda activities," which are not capital offenses. They accused foreign media of fabricating the execution reports. Soltani was arrested last week in connection with protests that began over rising costs and spread nationwide, targeting the Iranian government. While the judiciary claims he was arrested during riots, human rights groups say he was arrested at home and has been denied legal counsel.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Karaj 30% Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 30% IRIB 40% Fardis 40% Tehran ×240% Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei 40% Abbas Araghchi 50% Donald Trump 60% Hengaw ×370% Iran ×580% Erfan Soltani ×790%

Keywords

iran protests 90% execution 80% erfan soltani 70% arrested protesters 60% judiciary 60% human rights 50% national security 50% political prisoners 40%