Iranian Protester Erfan Soltani Released on Bail After January Arrest

Overview

• Soltani’s lawyer told AFP he was freed on Saturday, January 31, on bail and received his belongings, including his cellphone.
• He was detained on January 8 near his home in Fardis, in the Karaj area west of Tehran, during nationwide demonstrations.
• Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported accusations of assembly and collusion against internal security and conducting propaganda activities.
• Family members, rights groups, and U.S. officials had said he faced execution and moharebeh charges, claims the judiciary dismissed as fabricated.
• Reports differed on the bond amount, with figures including two billion tomans and about $12,600, as rights groups continue to cite mass arrests and a heavy death toll from the protests.