An Iranian soldier has been sentenced to death for refusing to fire on protesters during the Islamic Republic's crackdown on nationwide anti-government demonstrations, according to a human rights group.
Javid Khales, a member of Iran's security forces, is facing execution after allegedly declining to participate in shooting protesters during the widespread unrest, the Iran Human Rights Society said Tuesday.
According to the organization, Khales was detained immediately after disobeying the order.
People familiar with the situation said he refused an order to shoot at protesters and was arrested soon afterward, with authorities opening a case against him.
The organization said sentencing a soldier to death for refusing to kill civilians showed the courts were being used to impose total obedience and deepen the crackdown on protests.
IHRS is urging Iranian authorities to release full details surrounding the case, noting that information about those detained during the protests has been limited and difficult to verify.
Khales' reported sentence comes as Iran's judiciary has signaled plans to move quickly with trials and executions of individuals arrested during the unrest.
Human rights groups estimate that more than 20,000 people were detained amid the protests.
Iran's judiciary reiterated Sunday that the protesters' actions amounted to "mohareb," an Islamic term meaning to wage war against God — an offense that carries the death penalty under Iranian law.
On Friday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social thanking the Iranian regime for canceling the scheduled hangings that were set to take place the day before.
"I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran," the president wrote.
"Thank you!"
Since then, reports indicate that Iran has intensified its efforts to suppress dissent as the regime seeks to reassert control.
Iran's top police official has urged protesters to surrender voluntarily, warning that failure to do so could result in harsher punishment.
IHRS called for greater scrutiny of the case, while human rights activists warned that without international pressure, detainees could face rapid and extrajudicial death sentences.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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