Iranian protester Erfan Sultani, previously facing a death sentence by hanging, has been freed on bail, confirmed by his legal representative.
The 26-year-old proprietor of a clothing store was apprehended amidst a series of anti-government demonstrations and promptly handed a death penalty by an Iranian court.
He was taken into custody on January 8 during the ongoing unrest in Iran. His family endured days of uncertainty before learning about his charge of moharebeh, a serious offense in Iranian law often used against individuals considered a threat to the state.
Initially, his family was informed that he had been sentenced to death and granted only a brief 10-minute farewell, as reported by the Mirror two weeks ago.
However, his lawyer, Amir Mousakhani, disclosed that Erfan was released the previous day and has reclaimed all his possessions, including his cellphone, after a bail of “two billion tomans” (approximately $12,600) was posted for his release, as per the AFP news agency.
Authorities had detained him in a facility in Karaj near Tehran on grounds of national security, as announced by the Iranian judiciary in January. Contrary to reports by the US State Department, the Iranian justice system refuted the death sentence claim, stating that his charges did not warrant capital punishment and that his case was still being investigated.
While Tehran stated over 3,000 deaths during the protests that commenced on December 28 as peaceful rallies, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) asserted validating 6,713 deaths, predominantly of protestors, in contrast to the government’s assertion that the majority of casualties were security personnel and innocent bystanders targeted in “terrorist acts.”
The frequency of protests has diminished lately. U.S. President Donald Trump previously cautioned Iran of severe repercussions if protestors were executed.
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