Tehran Prepares for First Reported Hanging Linked to Nationwide Anti-Regime Uprising

Tehran, Iran – January 12, 2026 – Iranian authorities are reportedly moving forward with plans to execute 26-year-old protester Erfan Soltani by hanging, in what human rights organizations warn could mark the first use of capital punishment directly tied to the current wave of anti-government demonstrations sweeping the country.

Soltani, a resident of Fardis in the Karaj suburb near Tehran, was arrested on January 8 amid the escalating protests that began in late December 2025. What started as demonstrations in Tehran's Grand Bazaar over skyrocketing inflation, a collapsing rial currency, and severe economic hardship quickly transformed into widespread calls for regime change and an end to the clerical rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to reports from groups such as Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) and the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFD), Soltani's family was informed of his death sentence on January 11, with authorities scheduling the execution for January 14—granting only a brief 10-minute final visit. Sources describe the judicial process as extraordinarily expedited, with no access to a lawyer, no fair trial, and no meaningful opportunity for appeal, raising alarms over violations of due process.

Rights advocates characterize the case as a deliberate escalation in the regime's crackdown, aimed at instilling widespread fear to deter further unrest. Activists, including Lebanese-Australian commentator Mario Nawfal, have suggested this could be "the first of many" fast-tracked executions intended to suppress the growing movement.

The protests, now entering their third week, have spread to more than 185 cities across all 31 provinces, marking one of the most significant challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 2022–2023 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. Demonstrators have chanted anti-regime slogans, burned symbols of the government, and in some cases called for the return of the monarchy under exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.

Iranian security forces have responded with lethal force, including live ammunition and metal pellets, leading to a reported death toll exceeding 500 protesters (with some estimates significantly higher) and thousands of arrests. Hospitals in major cities, including Tehran, have been described as overwhelmed by casualties. The regime has imposed a near-total internet blackout since early January, severely restricting communication and making independent verification of events difficult.

While previous protest crackdowns have involved mass shootings and other forms of lethal repression, a public hanging tied specifically to this round of demonstrations would represent a new threshold in the authorities' efforts to quell dissent. Charges against Soltani reportedly include "waging war against God" (moharebeh), a capital offense under Iranian law often applied to perceived threats against the state.

The case has drawn international attention amid heightened regional tensions. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that the United States is prepared to intervene militarily if security forces continue killing protesters, stating the country is "locked and loaded" and ready to act. The European Union and other bodies have condemned the regime's use of the death penalty as a tool of political repression.

As the situation remains fluid and communications inside Iran are heavily restricted, human rights groups are urging urgent global action to halt the execution and press for accountability. Soltani's fate could signal whether the regime will intensify its resort to capital punishment to crush the momentum of what many observers describe as a potential turning point in Iran's long-simmering crisis. 17GEN4.com