Iranian authorities are reportedly preparing to carry out what could be the first hanging execution linked to the ongoing nationwide protests against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The person facing execution is 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, a resident of Fardis in Karaj, near Tehran.

Soltani was arrested on January 8 for taking part in protests that have spread across Iran since early January. According to human rights groups and media reports, he has been sentenced to death, and the execution is expected to be carried out on Wednesday. If this happens, it will mark the first execution by hanging related to the current protest movement. In the past, Iran has used executions to suppress protests, but those cases were mostly carried out through shootings.

Reports suggest that Soltani’s case may be part of a fast-track process aimed at frightening protesters and stopping further demonstrations. Israel- and US-based news outlet Jfeed reported that authorities may carry out more executions in the coming days to deter public resistance.

The Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights, a Kurdish human rights group based in Norway, has raised serious concerns about how the case has been handled. The group says there has been little transparency in the legal process and that Soltani has been denied basic legal rights. Since his arrest, he has reportedly not been allowed to meet a lawyer, present a defence, or challenge the charges against him.

Soltani’s family was informed on January 11 that he had been sentenced to death. According to reports, they were allowed to meet him for only 10 minutes after learning about the sentence. A source close to the family said authorities told them that the decision is final and will be carried out as scheduled.

It was also reported that Soltani’s sister, who is a licensed lawyer, tried to intervene legally. However, she has been denied access to the case file and has not been allowed to represent her brother in court.

Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur Mario Nawfal posted about the case on social media platform X, warning that this execution could be the first of many. He claimed that Iranian authorities are using fear and violence to control the public. Nawfal also alleged that around 2,000 people have died in the protests so far, though this figure has not been independently confirmed.

The latest wave of protests in Iran began in late December 2025, driven by severe economic problems. These include the collapse of the Iranian Rial, rising inflation, and soaring prices of basic goods. Protests first started in Tehran’s bazaars and then spread across the country as shopkeepers, students, and ordinary citizens demanded economic relief and political change.

What began as economic anger has now turned into one of the largest nationwide protest movements in years, with many Iranians openly calling for reforms and an end to Ayatollah Khamenei’s rule.