Iranian soldier is sentenced to death for refusing orders to shoot protesters

A young soldier who refused to obey orders to shoot at protesters during one of Iran’s most intense waves of unrest across the country has been sentenced to death, a human rights group reported Tuesday.

The Iranian Human Rights Society (IHRS) identified the soldier as Javid Khales, who was arrested during the nationwide protests in 1404, a massive wave of anti-regime demonstrations from late 2025 to early 2026 calling for an end to the country’s current dictatorship.

“According to informed sources, when confronted with an order to shoot at people, the protester refused to comply with the order, which led to his immediate arrest and charges being filed against him,” IHRS said. he said.

The group said eyewitnesses claimed that Halis, who is currently in Isfahan prison, had not committed a crime but refused to shoot as a humane act.

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While the unrest has already led to thousands of arrests and deaths among protesters, Khales’ planned execution further raises concerns about unfair, state-sanctioned killings and rushed trials in which defendants are denied appropriate legal protection.

“In an environment where protests continue and lethal repression against the population intensifies, the news that Javid Khales, a young soldier who refused to shoot at protesters, has been sentenced to death has raised concerns about a new wave of judicial massacres,” the human rights group said.

“This sentence comes at a time when judicial officials are openly talking about immediate trials for those arrested at protests and the speedy execution of death sentences.”

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While hundreds of people are claimed to have been killed by government forces, the number of deaths in protests in Iran is increasing. (MAHSA/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

According to IHRS, a judicial spokesman and a Tehran prosecutor, in separate statements, emphasized that cases involving dissidents should be resolved as soon as possible, raising concerns that executions could take place outside proper legal procedures. Human rights sources say many detainees remain in custody without access to a lawyer or a fair trial.

The organization added that Khales’ death sentence was seen as part of a broader effort to instill fear, “impose absolute obedience and intensify protest pressure.”

In this frame from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked protester holds a photo of Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

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Over the past few days, the government has shut down and restricted the internet across the country to prevent protesters from organizing. Human rights activists say the blackout is also a strategic move to hide the facts on the ground and suppress public outcry.

Exact details about Khales’ case, his current situation and the judicial process were not available.