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| IRAN - 25th day of protests (Hrana) |
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IRAN - Hrana Report on 25th day of protests: 4,902 confirmed fatalities, 9,387 under review
January 21, 2026: January 21, 2026 - IRAN. Hrana Report on 25th day of protests: 4,902 confirmed fatalities, 9,387 under review, 26,541 arrested
Continued Internet Blackout and Officials’ Narrative-Building on the Death Toll
On the 25th day of nationwide protests in Iran, according to aggregated data compiled by HRANA, the number of confirmed fatalities has reached 4,902, while the number of deaths still under review stands at 9,387. Additionally, at least 7,389 people have sustained severe injuries, and the total number of arrests has risen to 26,541. These figures are recorded amid the continued widespread internet shutdown, while at the same time the government, by releasing limited and selective statistics, is attempting to solidify its official narrative regarding the scale of the killings.
Developments on the twenty-fifth day are largely related to narrative-building around recent events, the government’s efforts to present statistics, and shifts in diplomacy. However, the security atmosphere continues to dominate cities, and international pressure has increased.
Disruption of Communications: “Indefinite Time” as Official Policy
On the 25th day, Iranian officials expressed new positions regarding the internet. The Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council announced that the timing of the internet’s return is unspecified, a statement that contradicted earlier positions, in which vague promises of a “gradual restoration” had been made. This stance effectively transforms the internet shutdown from a “temporary measure” into an open-ended and indefinite situation.
Under these conditions, the limited and selective access provided to certain institutions or specific users should not be considered a sign of the internet’s return, but rather part of a controlled access model. This situation has severely disrupted independent documentation of the protests, follow-up on the conditions of detainees and those killed, and even communication among families. According to observers, it has become a key crisis-management tool for the authorities.
Security Atmosphere: Consolidation of Government Control Over Cities Without the Expansion of Open Protests
Field reports from various cities indicate that although the level of public gatherings has declined compared to the initial weeks, the presence of security and law enforcement forces remains extensive and highly visible. Street-level controls, motorcycle patrols, and the presence of plainclothes forces in urban areas persist, with restrictions intensifying during the evening hours.
This situation should be assessed less as a sign of the protests having fully subsided and more as the result of a combination of factors such as severe repression, mass arrests, and communication shutdowns. At the same time, reports point to the persistence of social discontent across different segments of society, discontent that, in the absence of the ability to organize and communicate, is less likely to manifest in coordinated demonstrations.
Discrepancies Between Officials’ Claims and Figures Derived from Independent Reports
One of the main developments on the twenty-fifth day was the government’s presentation of its official narrative regarding the scale of the killings and recent violence. The head of the Legal Medicine Organization announced what was described as a “final report,” stating that 3,117 people had been killed in the “recent incidents,” and emphasized that the victims included women, minori, the elderly, and bystanders. In the same remarks, the causes of death were attributed to a range of weapons, including live ammunition, hunting firearms, pellet guns, and even bladed weapons, while primary responsibility for the violence was placed on “terrorist elements” and forces allegedly trained abroad.
At the same time, security officials rejected higher figures reported by foreign media, including claims of 12,000 to 20,000 deaths, describing them as the result of a “misinterpretation of the forensic case-numbering system.” They stressed that delays in releasing official statistics were due to the need to carefully distinguish between civilians, security forces, and armed individuals. Alongside casualty figures, government officials also presented extensive statistics on damage to infrastructure, as well as government, religious, and educational facilities, in an effort to shift the dominant narrative from the killing of protesters to the “scale of destruction and organized violence.” This narrative, however, has been met with widespread skepticism and criticism amid the continued internet shutdown and restricted access to independent information.
International Reactions: Continued Condemnations and Escalating Political Pressure
At the international level, reactions to the crackdown on protests in Iran continued on the twenty-fifth day. Members of the European Parliament once again condemned the internet shutdown and the killing of protesters, stressing the need for more concrete actions. At the same time, discussions emerged in international forums regarding more targeted sanctions and holding those responsible for the crackdown accountable.
In the United States, statements by senior officials, including the country’s president, received widespread attention. Referring to the crackdown on protests in Iran, he spoke of widespread shootings of civilians and the possibility of mass executions. These remarks were rejected by officials of the Islamic Republic, but they contributed to heightened verbal and political tensions at the international level.
Government Response: Widespread Denial, Downplaying of Figures, and Continuation of a Security-Oriented Approach
In response to these pressures, the government’s reaction on the twenty-fifth day focused on denial, minimizing casualty figures, and reproducing a security-based narrative. Officials continued to describe protesters using labels such as “rioters” and “foreign agents,” placing responsibility for the killings on what they called “imposed insecurity.”
The government’s security and judicial approach has not only failed to be scaled back, but in the absence of widespread public protests, efforts have instead been made to institutionalize repression and violence and turn them into routine practices.
Statistics
Based on aggregated data recorded up to the end of Day 25:
- Number of recorded gatherings/protests: 633
- Number of cities involved (non-duplicated): 192
- Number of provinces involved (non-duplicated): 31
- Confirmed deaths: 4,902
- Protesters: 4,622
- Minors (under 18): 40
- Government/affiliated forces (military and civilian): 201
- Non-protesters/civilians: 39
- Deaths under investigation: 9,387
- Seriously injured: 7,389
- Total arrests: 26,541
- Broadcast forced confessions: 181 cases
Summary
On the twenty-fifth day of nationwide protests, the internet shutdown continued, and this time officials adopted a different stance, stating that the timing of reconnection was unspecified. On the same day, officials released their own death toll figures in an effort to challenge statistics reported by independent sources. Meanwhile, international pressure persisted, and the government sought to maintain political and media control of the situation by downplaying the numbers and emphasizing a security-oriented narrative.
https://www.en-hrana.org/day-twenty-five-of-protests-continued-internet-blackout-and-officials-narrative-building-on-the-death-toll/ (Source: Hrana)
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