|
IRAN - Mass Killing of Protesters: The International Community Must Stop This Crime
January 10, 2026: January 10, 2026 - IRAN. Mass Killing of Protesters in Iran: The International Community Must Stop This International Crime
As anti-government protests continue to spread across Iran, and more than 60 hours after the nationwide internet blackout, reports indicate widespread killing of protesters in different parts of the country, particularly in Tehran.
Since the start of the protests, Iran Human Rights has confirmed the killing of at least 192 protesters. At the same time, unverified reports indicate that at least several hundreds, and according to some sources, more than 2,000 people may have been killed. Due to the total internet blackout and severe restrictions on access to information, independent verification remains a serious challenge under the current circumstances.
Meanwhile, in official statements, Iran’s Prosecutor General has described all protesters as mohareb (enemies of God), a charge that is punishable by death under Iranian law. State media have also reported mass arrests of individuals they label as “rioters.”
Iran Human Rights expresses its deep concern over the escalation and continuation of the killing of protesters, as well as the serious risk of mass executions of detainees, and calls for an immediate response from the international community.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of IHR, stated: “The killing of protesters over the past three days, particularly following the nationwide internet shutdown, may be even more extensive than we currently imagine. The Islamic Republic is committing a major international crime against the people of Iran, and the international community is obligated, under international law, to use all available means to stop this crime.
At the same time, threats by Iranian authorities to sentence protesters to death on charges such as moharebeh must be taken extremely seriously. Those who are in power today are the same individuals who, in the 1980s, committed crimes against humanity by executing thousands of political prisoners without trial. The risk of a repetition of those crimes is entirely real.”
The protests, which began on 27 December 2025 at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over deteriorating economic conditions, have now entered their fifteenth day. During this period, both the geographical spread of the protests and the intensity and scale of state repression have increased significantly. The Islamic Republic is facing its most serious crisis and threat to its survival in the past 47 years.
According to IHR’s findings, the killing of 192 protesters has been confirmed through direct sources or at least two other independent sources, including nine protesters under the age of 18.
Since Thursday evening, coinciding with the complete internet shutdown across Iran, the killing of protesters has intensified, with the highest number of fatalities reported on 9 and 10 January. Unverified reports received by Iran Human Rights indicate that the bodies of hundreds of victims have been witnessed in one of Tehran’s morgues, although independent verification is currently impossible. These reports, combined with a report by Time magazine citing a physician who stated that at least 217 protesters were registered as killed in six Tehran hospitals, further strengthen concerns that a very large number of protesters have been killed.
At the same time, Iran’s judiciary, through the Prosecutor General, has openly threatened protesters with death sentences. Mohammad Kazem Movahedi Azad, Iran’s Prosecutor General, declared that all protesters would be tried for moharebeh (enmity against God), an offence punishable by death. He stated: “The charges against all rioters are the same, whether those who assisted rioters and terrorists in damaging security and public property, or mercenaries who took up arms and caused fear and terror among citizens. All perpetrators in this matter are mohareb. These individuals cannot claim that they were misled, as sufficient warnings about the enemy’s objectives had already been given.”
He further emphasised that protesters’ cases must be handled “without leniency, mercy or compromise,” adding that prosecutors must swiftly issue indictments to facilitate trials and “decisive action” against those accused of “betraying the nation and creating insecurity in pursuit of foreign domination.”
Simultaneously, media affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have reported the arrest of large numbers of protesters, labeling them as “rioters,” “armed individuals,” or “linked to Israel.” Such vague and sweeping accusations have previously been used to justify widespread repression and the issuance of harsh sentences, including the death penalty. According to IHR's estimates, more than 2,600 protesters have been arrested since the beginning of the protests.
IHR reiterates that the use of lethal force and the death penalty to suppress peaceful protests constitutes a grave violation of human rights and amounts to an international crime. The international community has a responsibility to prevent the continuation and repetition of Iran’s bloody history of repression.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/8526/ (Source: IHR)
|
