Iran International

Iran’s judiciary said on Thursday that Erfan Soltani, a protester detained earlier this month, has not been sentenced to death, rejecting earlier claims by his family that such a ruling had been issued.

The judiciary said Soltani is being held at the central penitentiary in the city of Karaj and has been formally charged with “collusion against internal security” and “propaganda activities against the system,” according to state media.

It added that no death sentence has been issued and that capital punishment does not apply to those charges under Iranian law.

The judiciary said that if the charges are upheld by prosecutors and a court issues a legal ruling, the punishment by law would be imprisonment.

Soltani’s family had previously said that he had been sentenced to death, raising concerns among activists amid a broader crackdown on protesters following unrest across the country.

Iran has in past protest-related cases brought more serious charges such as moharebeh – commonly translated as “waging war against God” – which under the Islamic Republic’s penal code can carry the death penalty.

During earlier waves of unrest, rights groups and analysts said Iranian authorities used capital cases and charges including moharebeh and “corruption on earth” against some detainees, drawing international criticism over due process.