Iranian protester Erfan Soltani, who was widely reported last month to have been sentenced to death over anti-government demonstrations, has been released on bail, according to media and rights groups.
Soltani, 26, was detained on 8 January in Fardis, near Tehran, amid nationwide protests that triggered a violent response from security forces. His family was later told by authorities that he was facing imminent execution, though no further details were provided, Norway-based Kurdish rights group Hengaw said.
Iran’s judiciary later rejected claims that Soltani had received a death sentence, stating instead that he was charged with security-related offences punishable by imprisonment, reports BBC.
His lawyer, Amir Mousakhani, told AFP that Soltani was freed on bail on Saturday and had his personal belongings, including his mobile phone, returned. A bail amount of two billion tomans—about $12,600—was posted to secure his release.
Hengaw and Iranian outlets, including semi-official news agency ISNA, also confirmed the development.
Soltani, a clothing shop owner, drew international attention after reports emerged that he was set to be executed. A relative previously told BBC Persian that a death sentence had allegedly been issued within just two days through an unusually fast legal process.
The reports prompted international reaction, including warnings from then US President Donald Trump of “very strong action” should executions proceed. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, however, cautioned that any attack on Iran would ignite a wider regional conflict.
Iranian authorities dismissed foreign media reports about Soltani’s execution as false, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was no intention to carry out hangings. Hengaw later reported that Soltani’s execution had been postponed, citing family sources.
Meanwhile, human rights organisations say the death toll from the unrest continues to rise. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency claims more than 6,300 people have been killed since protests began in late December, with thousands more deaths under investigation. Iran Human Rights has warned the total could surpass 25,000.
Protesters have told the BBC that the scale and intensity of the crackdown were unprecedented. On Sunday, Khamenei accused demonstrators of attacking police, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and public institutions, including banks and mosques.