The crackdown on protests in may be the most violent in the country’s modern history.
The death toll during the protests has reached 2,571 people, the rights organization HRANA, which has its headquarters in , announced today.
The organization said it has so far confirmed the deaths of 2,403 protesters, 147 people linked to the government, 12 people under the age of 18 and nine civilians who were not among the protesters. An Iranian official said yesterday, Tuesday, that around 2,000 people have been killed – the first time authorities have given a total death toll from the crackdown on protests, which have been ongoing for more than two weeks across the country.
At the same time, the Iranian mission to the United Nations accused the US government of looking for a “pretext” to intervene militarily in Iran. Its permanent representative to the UN spoke of the US’s pursuit of regime change in Tehran.
“US imaginings and policy towards Iran is rooted in (seeking) regime change, with sanctions, threats, orchestrated riots and chaos being used as modus operandi to create a pretext for military intervention,” Amir Said Irawani said.
In fact, it didn’t stop there. Iran’s representative has sent a letter of protest to the United Nations in response to Donald Trump’s latest posts.
Iran’s leadership ‘has lost all legitimacy’
The head of German diplomacy, Johann Vandefühl, ruled yesterday Tuesday that, citing the violent suppression of mass mobilizations in the Islamic Republic.
Speaking to public broadcaster ARD during his visit to the US, Germany’s foreign minister said a regime that can only suppress protests with the use of lethal force shows it is “at its end”.
He insisted that the Iranian government has “lost all legitimacy” and the “right” to rule. He claimed that the violence against the citizens is unprecedented and beyond the limits of brutality.
Furthermore, Foreign Minister Vandeful called on the European Union to label the Revolutionary Guards, an elite body of the Iranian armed forces, a “terrorist” organization, due to what he described as a key role in suppressing the demonstrations.
He said he had discussed the issue with his European colleagues and EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kalas yesterday, but acknowledged that no consensus had yet been reached in the EU.
Today the execution of Erfan Soltani
At the same time, .
According to information obtained by IranWire, Soltani is being held without access to a lawyer, while the authorities have not formally charged him.
No court hearing has been held in his case, with the 26-year-old’s family receiving threats that if they speak publicly or contact the media, other family members will be arrested.
US President Donald Trump sent a harsh message to Iran, threatening that the US will “react harshly” if protesters are executed.
The date of the arrest
Erfan was arrested on the evening of Thursday, January 8, near his home, in the Fardis area of Karaj. For three days his family had no information about his whereabouts. On Sunday, January 11, security agents finally contacted them, confirming that he was in custody and telling them that he had already been sentenced to death.
After repeated and desperate pleas, the family was granted a one-off ten-minute meeting with Erfan, which authorities made clear was intended to be their last goodbye before the sentence was carried out.
“The family is under extreme pressure. Even a close relative, who is a lawyer, tried to take up the case but was blocked and threatened by security agents. He was told, “There is no file to look into. We have announced that whoever is arrested in the protests will be executed. Erfan’s sentence is Moharebeh (enmity to God), it is final and it will be executed,” a source told IndiaWire.
He had received threats before his arrest
Erfan worked in the clothing industry and had recently been hired by a private company. Those who know him describe him as a man with a passion for fashion and personal style. His Instagram profile – one of the few that the authorities have not deleted – shows a young man who loved sports.
The same source added: “Erfan had received threatening messages from security sources before his arrest, but remained committed to the protests. He had told his family that he was being watched, but he refused to back down.”
