Iran judiciary denies death sentence for detained protester Erfan Soltani

Iran’s judiciary has said that Erfan Soltani, a protester detained earlier this month, has not been sentenced to death, rejecting earlier claims by his family.

The judiciary said Soltani is being held at the central penitentiary in the city of Karaj and has been formally charged with “collusion against internal security” and “propaganda activities against the system,” Caliber.Az reports via Iranian media.

It added that no death sentence has been issued and that capital punishment does not apply to those charges under Iranian law.

“The judiciary said that if the charges are upheld by prosecutors and a court issues a legal ruling, the punishment by law would be imprisonment,” the report said.

Soltani’s family had previously said that he had been sentenced to death, raising concerns among activists amid a broader crackdown on protesters following unrest across the country.

In past protest-related cases, Iranian authorities have brought more serious charges such as moharebeh – commonly translated as “waging war against God” – which under the Islamic Republic’s penal code can carry the death penalty.

Rights groups and analysts have previously criticised Iran for using capital cases and charges including moharebeh and “corruption on earth” against some detainees, citing concerns over due process during waves of unrest.

By Aghakazim Guliyev