Iran Protest: Iran is likely to witness another critical moment as the Khamenei administration is set to execute protester Erfan Soltani, 26, on Wednesday, amid a threat from the USA. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iran to show humanity and not kill the protesters.
The message is they've got to show humanity, Trump said, adding that they've got a big problem. "I hope they're not going to be killing people,” he added.
Who Is Erfan Soltani?
Soltani, a resident of Fardis in Tehran's Karaj suburb, was arrested from his residence on January 8 during the peak of the street protests against economic turmoil affected by soaring inflation. The Khamenei government is scheduled to be hanged to death today. Several human rights groups raised concerns and demanded revoke the death order. Soltani has been charged with "waging war against God", a crime punishable by death in Iran. If executed, Soltani would be the first protester to be hanged to death by the regime in the fresh round of anti-government protest.
NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said Soltani's family was told that he had been sentenced to death and that the sentence is due to be carried out on 14 January. NUFD, another human rights group, claimed that Soltani was denied access to a lawyer.
Trump Threatens Action If Protesters Are Killed
On the other side, Trump said he believes that the killing is 'significant' and that his administration would act accordingly. The US President asserted that he believed the Iranian government was 'badly misbehaving.
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Further, Trump said he has yet to receive a confirmed number of Iranians killed in the protests that began late last month, saying he has heard five different sets of numbers about the death toll.
Since the protests began on Dec 28, 16,700 people have been arrested and more than 2,000 have been killed, the vast majority protesters, according to Human Rights Activists News Agency.
'Help Is On Its Way': Trump Tells Protesters
Meanwhile, Trump also said he cancelled the prospect of talks with Iranian officials amid reports of the massacre in the West Asian country. However, the US President did not offer any details about what the help would entail, but it comes after the Republican president just days ago said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic, where the death toll from nationwide protests has spiked to more than 2,000, according to human rights monitors. But Trump, with his latest message on social media, appeared to make an abrupt shift about his willingness to engage with the Iranian government.
(With Agencies inputs)