Iran has defiantly rejected warnings from US President Donald Trump and signalled its intention to carry out rapid trials and executions of thousands of detained anti-government demonstrators. The regime's bloody crackdown has now led to the deaths of at least 2,571 people, according to human rights monitors, with more than 18,000 protesters arrested.
First Execution Looms as Family Pleads for Mercy
The gravity of the situation was underscored by the case of Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old shopkeeper from Fardis in Karaj. Arrested for participating in a protest on Thursday, January 8, 2026, he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death in a matter of days. His family made a desperate, last-minute bid to save him, protesting outside Ghezel Hesar prison where he is held in solitary confinement.
Arina Moradi of the Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights told the Daily Mail that Soltani was "never a political activist," but part of a younger generation protesting the current situation. His sister, a licensed lawyer, was reportedly blocked from accessing his case file. The Hengaw organisation condemned the process as a "clear violation of international human rights law," citing its "rushed and non-transparent" nature.
Regime Vows Speed Amidst International Condemnation
Despite President Trump's stark warning to CBS News on Tuesday, January 13 – "We will take very strong action if they do such a thing. If they hang them, you're going to see some things" – Iran's judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, pushed for accelerated justice. In a video shared by state media on Wednesday, January 14, he stated, "If we want to do a job, we should do it now... If it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn't have the same effect."
This directive aligns with the regime's labelling of demonstrators as "mohareb" or "enemies of God," a charge punishable by death. Shahin Gobadi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) described the establishment of special judicial branches as an "order to establish kangaroo courts aimed at killing protesters."
Internet Blackout and Starlink's Covert Role
Amidst a near-total internet and telecommunications shutdown imposed by the regime on January 8, activists confirmed on Wednesday that Starlink satellite internet terminals were offering free service in Iran. Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based activist, confirmed the functionality of the terminals, which are crucial for bypassing state censorship. In response, security forces have reportedly begun raiding apartment buildings in Tehran to search for the illegal satellite dishes.
The protests, which began on December 28, 2025, were triggered by a catastrophic economic collapse that saw the Iranian rial plunge to 1.42 million to the US dollar. The unrest has since evolved into a broad challenge against the theocracy, with Thursday, January 9, marking one of the largest nationwide demonstrations.
The scale of violence is unprecedented in decades, with witnesses describing streets turned into "warzones" where security forces open fire with assault rifles. Graphic videos have emerged showing dozens of bodies in a morgue in Kahrizak, on the outskirts of Tehran. The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, said he was "horrified" by the violence, while Secretary-General António Guterres expressed shock at the "excessive use of force."
As the regime under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vows not to back down, the international community watches with growing alarm, fearing a wave of state-sanctioned killings aimed at crushing dissent through terror.
