Reprieve for Iranian protester Erfan Soltani facing execution

The Iranian regime has granted a reprieve for Erfan Soltani, the young man facing execution for joining protests against its rulers.

Iran’s foreign minister told America’s Fox TV there would be “no hangings today, tomorrow or whatever”. His comments were reinforced by Iran’s judiciary which revealed the legal charge against Soltani, 26, who was scheduled to be executed on January 14, has been downgraded.

And U.S. President Donald Trump said he had been told “on good authority” that “the killings had stopped” and there were “no plans for executions” in Iran.

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The developments in Iran came after President Trump had threatened “very strong action” against Iran if it executed captured protesters.

However, a spokeswoman for Hengaw, which campaigns for human rights in Iran, said Soltan’s family had been told his death sentence had been “postponed not cancelled”.

Soltani, a clothes shop owner, was arrested after joining the protests last week and held in the Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj. His family was told he had been sentenced to death and that he would be executed on January 14.

In a significant move, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi chose President Trump’s favourite Fox TV station to announce the apparent climbdown.

He said: “There is not any hanging today tomorrow it whatever. I am confident about that. There is no plan for hanging at all. After three days of terrorist operations there now there is calm.”

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Trump said: “We are told that the killings in Iran has stopped, is stopping and there is no plan for executions or an execution. I have been told that on good authority.”

The Iranian judiciary has signalled that the initial charge against Soltan of “waging war against God” has been changed to “colluding against the country’s internal security and propaganda activities” against the regime.

If the new downgraded charge is confirmed by a court, Soltan will not face the death penalty, it was reported.

A spokesman for Hengaw told the BBC that Soltan’s family had been told his execution “has only been postponed for an unknown time”.

The spokeswoman added: “It has not been stopped or cancelled, it has been postponed for now. They (the Iranian regime) have not given any further information on his case.”

The plight of Soltan, believed to be the first protester to be sentenced to death, has attracted attention around the globe.