The family of 26-year-old Iranian shopkeeper Erfan Soltani is pleading for international intervention as he faces imminent execution following his arrest at a protest in Karaj. Detained on January 8, Soltani was reportedly sentenced to death after a rapid and opaque judicial process, with his family learning of the execution date only days later. Human rights organizations say he has been denied basic legal rights, including access to a lawyer and information about his charges. His case comes amid widespread unrest in Iran, where mass protests erupted after the collapse of the national currency. More than 18,000 demonstrators have reportedly been detained, and thousands killed during a violent government crackdown. Iranian judicial authorities have openly called for swift trials and executions to suppress dissent, raising global alarm over the use of capital punishment as a political weapon.

Soltani’s relatives are now urging U.S. President Donald Trump to act, pointing to his recent warnings that Iran would face consequences if peaceful protesters were executed. Speaking to international media, a family member described Soltani as kind, nonviolent, and devoted to freedom, begging that he not be made an example. Human rights groups warn that his case could mark the first execution linked to the current wave of protests, setting a dangerous precedent. As international pressure mounts and time runs out, Soltani’s fate has become a symbol of the broader struggle of Iranian protesters facing severe repression — and a test of whether global powers will intervene or stand by as the crackdown intensifies.