The international community has expressed profound outrage as Iran prepares to execute a 26-year-old shop owner, Erfan Sultani, following a rapid trial linked to recent anti-government demonstrations. In a move described as particularly cruel, Sultani has reportedly been granted a mere ten minutes for a final, monitored farewell with his devastated family before his scheduled hanging.
A Swift Arrest and Death Sentence
Erfan Sultani, a resident of Fardis near Tehran, was detained on January 8 during a wave of protests that have swept Iran since late December 2025. The judiciary swiftly charged him with moharebeh, an offence translating to "waging war against God," which carries the death penalty under Iranian law and is frequently used against those perceived as threatening the state.
His family endured an agonising wait for news, only to be informed that he had already been sentenced to death. The execution was set for Wednesday, January 14. Reports suggest Sultani may have been denied proper legal counsel, with his licensed lawyer allegedly blocked from accessing his case file, highlighting severe concerns over due process.
The Psychological Weapon of a 10-Minute Goodbye
Criminal psychologist Alex Iszatt explains that the state's approach is designed to inflict maximum psychological trauma. "Being told you will be killed within hours, following a sham legal process, creates a psychological double trauma," Iszatt states. The abruptness forces the brain into an extreme survival state, swinging between acute anxiety and emotional detachment as a protective mechanism.
The enforced, brief farewell call, which is monitored and scripted, intensifies this suffering. "It strips both him and his family of any real or authentic final moments," Iszatt adds. This interaction often becomes a frozen, traumatic memory for relatives to replay, offering no closure. For the family, the suddenness is a power play, reinforcing their lack of control and signalling that others could face the same fate.
International Condemnation and Wider Crackdown
Sultani's impending execution has drawn intense global criticism, with rights organisations labelling it a stark example of Iran weaponising its justice system to crush dissent. The protests, which began over a sharp currency devaluation on 28 December, broadened into calls for an end to the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
One human rights group estimates that more than 2,400 protesters have been killed in the government's crackdown. In response, several European nations, including the UK, France, Spain, Finland, Belgium, and Germany, have summoned Iranian ambassadors over the violence. US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that America will take "very strong action" if it proceeds with executing protesters.
As protests appear to slow amid an internet shutdown, the case of Erfan Sultani stands as a chilling testament to the tactics employed, where the psychological suffering inflicted forms a central part of the punishment itself.
