Iranian man sentenced to death amid protests, rights groups say

Human rights groups report that Erfan Soltani, arrested during recent protests, has been sentenced to death and his family was told the sentence would be carried out on Wednesday; the groups say he was denied a trial and access to legal counsel.

Human rights groups report that Erfan Soltani, 26, has been sentenced to death after his arrest during recent protests in Iran. They say he was arrested in Fardis on Jan. 8 and that his family was told the sentence would be carried out on Wednesday. The groups report he was not given a trial and that his sister, who is a lawyer, has been denied access to his file. The case is being reported amid nationwide protests and reports of many protest-related deaths. Known details: - Rights groups say Soltani was arrested in Fardis on Jan. 8 and later sentenced to death. - Groups report there was no trial, and that Soltani was denied access to legal counsel and defence rights. - His family was reportedly told the execution would be carried out on Wednesday and was granted one final visit. - The reports come amid nationwide protests and monitoring groups and officials have reported roughly 2,000 protest-related deaths. Summary: Rights groups describe this as potentially the first death sentence in the current wave of protests and have expressed concern about denial of due process; they say the family was told the sentence would be carried out on Wednesday. Undetermined at this time.