First death penalty for protest participation in Iran

Iran is set to execute a protester for the first time on charges of anti-government protests. According to the New York Post, human rights groups say 26-year-old Erfan Soltani could be hanged next Wednesday.
Meanwhile, according to Iran Human Rights and the National Union for Democracy in Iran, Erfan Soltani was arrested during protests in the city of Karaj last week. His family was later informed that he had been sentenced to death and that the sentence could be carried out on January 14.
“The massacre of protesters in recent days is reminiscent of crimes against humanity from the 1980s,” said Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights. The National Union for Democracy in Iran said that Erfan Soltani’s only crime was demanding Iran’s independence. The organization called for international help to prevent his execution.
The organization also claimed that he was not given legal assistance after his arrest. Meanwhile, according to US media reports, Erfan Soltani has been charged with “declaring war against Allah”, a crime punishable by death in Iran. However, due to limited internet and communication services across the country, this information is difficult to independently verify.
Human rights organizations have claimed that more than 10,000 people have been arrested in recent weeks for participating in anti-government protests that began during Iran’s economic crisis. More than 500 people have been killed so far in the security forces’ crackdown on the protests.
In this situation, US President Donald Trump warned, “If protesters are attacked, the United States may respond militarily.” Meanwhile, citing diplomacy as their first choice, press secretary Carolyn Levitt said, “The United States does not want to see people killed on the streets of Tehran and that is what is happening now.”
On the other hand, several lawmakers in Congress said, “Making a decision to bomb a country without congressional authorization is unconstitutional and could actually mobilize Iranian protesters on the government’s side.” The Iranian government has also warned in response. The country’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, “If the United States attacks, Iran is fully prepared for war and will retaliate against US forces throughout the region.”