A 26-year-old Iranian man who was reportedly sentenced to death in connection with anti-government protests last month has been released on bail, reports say.
Erfan Soltani was arrested on 8 January in the city of Fardis, just west of Tehran, as protests swept across the country, prompting a deadly crackdown by Iranian authorities.
Officials then informed his family that he had been scheduled to be executed within days, without giving any additional details, according to Norway-based Kurdish human rights group Hengaw.
But Iran's judiciary denied that he was sentenced to death, saying he faced security-related charges carrying prison terms only.
Soltani's lawyer, Amir Mousakhani, told the AFP news agency that he was released on bail on Saturday and received all of his belongings including his cellphone. A bail of two billion tomans (around $12,600; £9,200) was paid for his release, the lawyer added.
Hengaw and Iranian media, including Isna, a semi-official Iranian news agency, also said Soltani had been bailed. The arrest of Soltani, a clothes shop owner, made headlines around the world when it was reported that he was allegedly due to be executed.
At the time, one of Soltani's relatives told BBC Persian that a court had issued a death sentence in an extremely rapid process, within just two days. US President Donald Trump previously threatened to take very strong action if executions were carried out. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any attack could spark a regional conflict.
In January, the Iranian government called reports by foreign media organizations regarding Soltani's execution a blatant act of news fabrication. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also stated in an interview with US television that there was no plan to hang anyone.
Following the initial reports, Hengaw later indicated that, according to information obtained through relatives, Soltani's execution was postponed.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported more than 6,300 deaths occurring due to the unrest that began in late December, with another 17,000 deaths currently under investigation. Meanwhile, another group, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), warns that the final toll could exceed 25,000.
Protesters have expressed that the lethal crackdown by security forces was unprecedented. In remarks on Sunday, Khamenei accused protesters of attacking police, the IRGC, and other facilities including banks and mosques.
Erfan Soltani was arrested on 8 January in the city of Fardis, just west of Tehran, as protests swept across the country, prompting a deadly crackdown by Iranian authorities.
Officials then informed his family that he had been scheduled to be executed within days, without giving any additional details, according to Norway-based Kurdish human rights group Hengaw.
But Iran's judiciary denied that he was sentenced to death, saying he faced security-related charges carrying prison terms only.
Soltani's lawyer, Amir Mousakhani, told the AFP news agency that he was released on bail on Saturday and received all of his belongings including his cellphone. A bail of two billion tomans (around $12,600; £9,200) was paid for his release, the lawyer added.
Hengaw and Iranian media, including Isna, a semi-official Iranian news agency, also said Soltani had been bailed. The arrest of Soltani, a clothes shop owner, made headlines around the world when it was reported that he was allegedly due to be executed.
At the time, one of Soltani's relatives told BBC Persian that a court had issued a death sentence in an extremely rapid process, within just two days. US President Donald Trump previously threatened to take very strong action if executions were carried out. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any attack could spark a regional conflict.
In January, the Iranian government called reports by foreign media organizations regarding Soltani's execution a blatant act of news fabrication. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also stated in an interview with US television that there was no plan to hang anyone.
Following the initial reports, Hengaw later indicated that, according to information obtained through relatives, Soltani's execution was postponed.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported more than 6,300 deaths occurring due to the unrest that began in late December, with another 17,000 deaths currently under investigation. Meanwhile, another group, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), warns that the final toll could exceed 25,000.
Protesters have expressed that the lethal crackdown by security forces was unprecedented. In remarks on Sunday, Khamenei accused protesters of attacking police, the IRGC, and other facilities including banks and mosques.
