A young soldier who refused orders to shoot protesters during one of the most intense waves of nationwide unrest in Iran has been sentenced to death, a human rights organization reported.
The Iran Human Rights Society (IHRS) identified the soldier as Javid Hales, who was arrested during the national protests, a massive wave of anti-government demonstrations that lasted from late 2025 to early 2026.
During the protests, thousands of citizens across Iran demanded an end to the current dictatorship in the country, Fox News reported.
“According to reliable sources, when confronted with the order to shoot at protesting civilians, he refused to carry out the command, leading to his immediate arrest and the initiation of proceedings against him,” the IHRS stated.
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Witnesses claim that Hales, who is now held in a prison in Isfahan, committed no crime but refused to shoot out of a sense of humanity, the organization said.
Although the unrest has already resulted in thousands of arrests and deaths among protesters, the planned execution of Hales has heightened concerns over state-sanctioned killings and expedited trials that deny defendants proper legal protections.
“Amid ongoing protests and the intensification of deadly repression against the people, news that Javid Hales, a young soldier who refused to shoot at demonstrators, has been sentenced to death has amplified fears of a new wave of judicial massacres,” the human rights organization said.
“This verdict comes at a time when judicial officials have openly discussed shortened procedures and rapid execution of death sentences for those arrested during the protests.”
A spokesperson for the judiciary and the Tehran prosecutor, in separate statements, emphasized that cases involving dissidents must be resolved as quickly as possible, IHRS reported, expressing concern that executions could occur outside proper legal procedures.
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Source: Telegraf.rs, Foto: AP