Iran expected to execute protester Erfan Soltani as Trump warns of 'strong action'

Iran was expected to execute a protester on Wednesday for the first time during the current wave of antigovernment unrest, human rights groups and family members said, identifying him as Erfan Soltani, 26, from an area west of Tehran. The Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights and relatives said Soltani was arrested on Jan.

8, denied access to a lawyer and that his family was kept unaware of the judicial proceedings until a brief final visit before the scheduled execution. His family told reporters he had never used violence and only sought basic freedoms for Iranians. The protests, which began on Dec.

28 over economic grievances and quickly expanded into a broader antigovernment uprising, have been met with a hardening official response: an internet blackout lasting nearly a week, deadly crackdowns and warnings that those involved in clashes could face severe punishments, including death by hanging.

A senior Iranian health official said as many as 3,000 people — mostly protesters — have been killed, and witnesses have described government forces firing on unarmed demonstrators. As reports of an imminent execution spread, President Trump said he would respond if Iran carried out such a sentence, warning, "We will take very strong action if they do such a thing," in an interview with CBS Evening News.

Key Topics

World, Erfan Soltani, Iranian Protests, Hengaw Organization, Iran, Tehran