Iran is set to carry out its first execution of a protester on Wednesday amid a sharp crackdown on demonstrations that have been raging on since end of December, said human rights groups.
Erfan Soltani, 26, is allegedly scheduled to be hanged to death after his arrest during the protests in Karaj last Thursday, the Iran Human Rights (IHR) and National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFD) NGO groups reported. The news was also confirmed by a US-based daily.
The NUFD called for international support to stop Soltani’s hanging, saying the main’s “only crime is calling for freedom for Iran”. The protester is being charged with “waging war against God”, a crime punishable by death in Iran.
The US daily also said that Soltani is allegedly unable to seek legal advice to defend himself.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency report on Monday, the deaths of 2,403 protesters has been confirmed so far in nearly 18 days of demonstrations that began on December 28, 2025. These include 12 children (individuals under 18 years of age) and 147 members of security forces and government supporters.
There have been a total of 614 protest gatherings recorded nationwide, which took place in 187 cities and 31 provinces of the country. The detention of 18,434 individuals has also been confirmed, the group said.
Also Read: Iran protests: Trump asks regime to be ‘humane’; death toll rises
Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said that Iran was on his mind and that he is being apprised on the crackdown on protestors by the regime.
“We’re going to look at the whole situation that’s going on in Iran. Really bad stuff. But Iran is on my mind when I see the kind of death that is happening over there. We’re going to get some accurate numbers as to what’s happening with regard to the killing,” he said while interacting with the press at Joint Base Andrews.
Despite the regime in Tehran allowing international phone calls on Tuesday, the internet clampdown remained in place, making it difficult to gauge the extent of killings and protests.
However, satellite internet provider, Starlink, is said to now offers free service in Iran, activists said on Wednesday. Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based activist who has helped get the units into Iran, told the media that the free service had started.
“We can confirm that the free subscription for Starlink terminals is fully functional,” Yahyanejad said in a statement. “We tested it using a newly activated Starlink terminal inside Iran.”
Starlink has been the only way for Iranians to communicate with the outside world since authorities shut down the internet last Thursday night as nationwide protests swelled and. Starlink itself did not immediately acknowledge the decision.
Meanwhile, amid the continuing protests, exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi on Tuesday (local time) reaffirmed Trump’s message that “help is on its way”, saying the world not only saw and heard the demonstrators’ courage and voice but is also “taking action”.
“My compatriots, as I told you in my previous message, the world not only saw and heard your courage and voice but is taking action. By now, you have undoubtedly heard the message from the President of the United States. Help is on the way,” he said.
Pahlavi, son of the ousted Shah, also urged citizens to sustain the movement against the Khamenei regime and warned that those responsible for violence would eventually be held accountable.
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