Iran: Erfan Soltani’s family understand he’s about to be executed
Newshour
BBC
4.2 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 14 January 2026
⏱️ 44 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Relatives of 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, who was detained last week, told BBC Persian he was due to be executed today. It is unclear whether this has taken place. A representative from the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights also told the BBC that they had never witnessed a case move so quickly.
Also, China has announced a record trade surplus despite the US's tariffs; and we hear from the organiser of Australia's largest free festival, Adelaide Writers' Week, which was called off because of a row over censorship.
(Photo: Undated image of Erfan Soltani. Credit: Hengaw Organization for Human Rights/X)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:09.7 | Hello and welcome to NewsAv from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:12.9 | We're coming to you live from London. |
| 0:14.8 | I'm James Menendez. |
| 0:19.8 | That's the sound from an Instagram video in which a young Iranian man, |
| 0:23.3 | 26-year-old Erfan Sultani, who owns a clothes shop just west of Tehran, |
| 0:28.2 | has seen driving his car, sunglasses on while nodding along to some rap music. |
| 0:33.6 | At the end, he makes a V for victory sign and smiles at the camera. |
| 0:38.2 | Well, Afan Sultani was arrested for taking part in anti-government protests. |
| 0:42.1 | And now, according to his family, he's been sentenced to death, possibly as soon as today. |
| 0:47.9 | Awiyah Shehi is from the Human Rights Organization, Heengal. |
| 0:51.9 | He was arrested on January 8, and after only for days the family was informed that he |
| 0:57.3 | has received this sentence without any explanation. |
| 1:00.4 | They have just told them that he was arrested in connection with a protest. |
| 1:03.5 | And we have never seen a case to be pursued this fast, and someone received this sentence |
| 1:10.6 | in this short time. |
| 1:12.7 | And he's just someone who was against the current situation of Iran |
| 1:18.2 | and now he received this sentence for just expressing his opinion. |
| 1:24.7 | With me in the studio, the BBC's chief international correspondent, Lees Doucette. |
| 1:29.7 | Lees, do we know anything more about Erfels Soltani's fate? |
| 1:33.7 | When you look at his social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, some of them have been closed down with those that are still open. |
| 1:40.9 | Here is a very young man, 26 years old, passionate about life. You had the image of him |
... |
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