Report: Iranian protester Arfan Soltani killed in Revolutionary Guards custody
Soltani’s family has denied he took part in the demonstrations, saying he was a clothing seller with no political activity, though he opposed Iran’s current leadership
Reports from human rights sources and international media on Sunday said that Arfan Soltani, a 26-year-old Iranian man previously sentenced to death in connection with nationwide protests, was killed while in custody at a Revolutionary Guards prison.
Soltani had been arrested on allegations that he took part in anti-government demonstrations that swept Iran.
His family has consistently denied the accusations, telling CBS News in earlier interviews that they had received no evidence showing he participated in the protests. According to relatives, Soltani worked as a clothing seller, had no history of political activism, but was critical of the current Iranian government.
Soltani became a prominent symbol of the crackdown on protesters after he was reported to be among the first detainees scheduled for execution. His death comes months after international pressure appeared to halt that sentence.
At the time, former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly urged Iranian authorities to stop the executions of protesters and warned of consequences, including potential military action, if the killings continued. Iranian officials did not publicly acknowledge that pressure influenced the case.
Following his arrest, Soltani was convicted on charges including participation in protests, conspiracy against Iran’s internal national security, and engaging in propaganda against the state. He was detained in Karaj Prison, located west of Tehran, where political prisoners and protest-related detainees are often held.
Iranian authorities have not issued an official statement detailing the circumstances of Soltani’s death. Human rights organizations have called for an independent investigation, raising concerns about the treatment of detainees and the use of lethal force within the prison system.
Soltani’s killing is likely to intensify international scrutiny of Iran’s handling of protest-related arrests and its broader human rights record, particularly amid ongoing tensions between Tehran and Western governments.