Death row inmate Erfan Soltani released on bail

Erfan Soltani, who was arrested in Iran on charges of participating in anti-government protests, has been released on bail, the Norway-based human rights group Henggao and Iranian state media confirmed. The New York Times reported that Erfan Soltani, 26, was arrested during anti-government protests that spread across Iran last month. His family had to pay $16,000 to secure bail. Erfan’s lawyer, Amir Mousakhani, confirmed the news.
Henggao said in a statement that Soltani was released on Saturday. His lawyer told AFP that Soltani’s bail was set at two billion tomans, equivalent to about $16,000. All of his personal belongings, including his mobile phone, were returned to him after his release. The news of Erfan Soltani’s death sentence sparked international outrage last month. However, Iranian authorities later said that he had not been sentenced to death.
Iran’s state broadcaster Press TV reported on Monday that Erfan Soltani, one of those detained in the recent foreign-backed riots, has been released on bail. The report claims that some foreign media outlets mistakenly reported that he had been sentenced to death.
Erfan Soltani was arrested at his home in western Tehran in early January. Human rights groups have alleged that he was not allowed to contact a lawyer after his arrest and that his family was kept in the dark about the trial process. They also claim that the family was only allowed to meet briefly once before the execution, as the execution would be carried out quickly.
Iran’s judiciary had previously said that Soltani was charged with “gathering and colluding against national security” and “spreading propaganda against the state system.” However, Erfan Soltani’s family insists that he was never involved in violence. Rather, they were peacefully expressing their opinions in support of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Iranian people.