Human rights group Hengaw said on Tuesday that Soltani, a resident of Fardis, Karaj, was arrested at his home on January 8 and faces “imminent execution”. Four days later, his family was informed a death sentence had been passed, and was due to be executed on Wednesday, according to Hengaw, which also said the case constitutes a “clear violation of human rights law.”
When CBS’s Tony Dokoupil informed President Donald Trump of the scheduled hangings within 24 hours on Tuesday night, Trump responded: “I haven’t heard about the hanging. If they hang ’em, you’re gonna see some things that– I don’t know what you’re– where you come from and what your thought process is, but you’ll perhaps be very happy.
“We will take very strong action. If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action. The endgame is to win. I like winning. And we’re winning.
“If they want to have protests, that’s one thing. When they start killing thousands of people. And now you’re telling me about hanging. We’ll see how that works out for them. It’s not going to work out good.”
Trump cancels meetings with Iranian officials in response to crackdown
His comments to CBS Evening News follow a social media post in which the US president said he had “cancelled all meetings” with Iranian officials, in response to the country’s severe crackdown on anti-government protests.
Widespread protests against Iran’s ruling regime, which began on December 28, have been met with a harsh government crackdown that activists say has left more than 2,000 people dead.
Some estimates put that figure much higher, with CBS reporting that up to 20,000 people may already be dead.
Trump urges Iranian protesters to ‘take over’ state institutions
Writing on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump urged Iranian protesters to “take over” state institutions, telling them that “help is on its way”.
Trump and his national security team have been reportedly weighing a range of potential responses against Iran, including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the US or Israel. Iran, through the country’s parliamentary speaker, warned on Sunday that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if Washington uses force against them.
However, the US president has previously said that Iran was “ready to negotiate” with Washington. It is unclear what Iran could offer in any negotiations, given Trump’s strict demands over its nuclear programme and ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran says are vital to its national defence.
