Iranian soldier sentenced to death for refusing to fire on protesters during nationwide unrest

A young soldier who refused to obey orders to shoot protesters during one of Iran's most intense waves of nationwide unrest has been sentenced to death, a human rights group reported Tuesday. The Iran Human Rights Society (IHRS) identified the soldier as Javid Khales, who was arrested during the nationwide protests of 1404, a major wave of anti-regime demonstrations from late 2025 to early 2026 calling for an end to the country’s current dictatorship.