Iran Rushes To Execute Anti-Regime Protester Days After Arrest As Brutal Crackdown Kills Over 600

Iran plans to hang a 26-year-old man Wednesday in what would be the first execution tied to the nationwide anti-regime protests that have left more than 600 dead, according to multiple reports.

Erfan Soltani was arrested on the evening of Jan. 8 near his home in the Fardis district of Karaj, according to IranWire. His family allegedly received no information about his whereabouts for three days.

Security agents reportedly contacted them on Jan. 11 to confirm his custody and inform them he had already been sentenced to death. (RELATED: ‘Patriots’: Trump Tells Iranians To ‘Save The Names Of The Killers And Abusers’)

A source close to the family told IranWire that authorities said there was no case file to review. The source added that officials told the family the sentence was final and would be carried out.

This is how the Islamic Republic crushes dissent:

Shut down the internet.
Kill protesters in the streets.
Start rapid executions to terrorize society into silence.

Erfan Soltani was arrested on Saturday January 10, 2026.
He was sentenced to death without access to a lawyer or… pic.twitter.com/lcaiPEmHiu

— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) January 12, 2026

Soltani’s sister, a licensed lawyer, was blocked from accessing the case file, according to The National, a United Arab Emirates-based outlet, citing a source close to the family. The Norway-based Hengaw Organsiation for Human Rights described the judicial process as “rapid and opaque.”

Iran Human Rights said Soltani was denied access to a lawyer and received no trial, citing a source close to his family. The group’s director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, said in a statement that “the widespread killing of civilian protesters in recent days by the Islamic Republic is reminiscent of the regime’s crimes in the 1980s, which have been recognized as crimes against humanity.”

The organization said at least 648 protesters have been killed across 14 provinces since demonstrations began Dec. 28, 2025. Authorities have arrested more than 10,000 people and imposed a near-total internet blackout since Jan. 8, according to Iran Human Rights.

President Donald Trump warned Tehran that violence against protesters would draw a U.S. military response. “[They] better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting, too,” Trump said Friday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that while diplomacy is still the president’s first choice, Trump “has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the threats, saying Tehran is “fully prepared for war,” Fox News reported.