IRAN - 33rd day of protests (Hrana)

IRAN - Day 33 of the Protests: 6,479 confirmed deaths, 17,091 still under investigation

January 29, 2026:

January 29, 2026 - IRAN. Day 33 of the Protests: 6,479 confirmed deaths, 17,091 still under investigation

EU Designates IRGC as a Terrorist Organization as Repression Persists

According to the latest aggregated data compiled by HRANA on the 33rd day since the start of the protests, the total number of confirmed deaths has reached 6,479. Of these, 6,092 were protesters, 118 were minors under the age of 18, 214 were government-affiliated forces, and 55 were non-protester civilians. In addition, 17,091 cases remain under investigation. The number of injured civilians has been reported at 11,020, along with 281 cases of forced confessions and 11,027 summonses to security institutions. Furthermore, a total of 660 protest-related incidents have been recorded across 203 cities in 31 provinces.
Today, two parallel developments unfolded. On the one hand, external reactions and pressure, particularly in Europe, intensified, with a focus on designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and imposing human rights sanctions. On the other hand, repression continued domestically following the street phase of the protests, taking the form of ongoing arrests, the presence of security institutions in schools, and increased pressure in detention centers and medical facilities.

Designating the IRGC as a Terrorist Organization and Sanctions Packages
In recent days, the European Union has pursued pressure on Iran’s repressive apparatus through two parallel tools: placing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the list of terrorist organizations and expanding targeted human rights sanctions against individuals and entities involved in the crackdown. Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, announced that EU foreign ministers had taken a “decisive” step by designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, stressing that the repression of protesters would not go unanswered.
Simultaneously, the European Union sanctioned 15 individuals and 6 Iranian entities for their “involvement in or responsibility for human rights violations and the repression of protesters.” According to HRANA, these sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans to the European Union, and prohibitions on providing any financial or economic resources to the listed individuals and entities.
Among the announced cases are the names of several key figures and institutions. These include Eskandar Momeni (Minister of Interior), Mohammad Movahedi Azad (Prosecutor General), and Iman Afshari (judge of Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court), whom the Council of Europe has linked to roles in the “violent suppression of protests” and “arbitrary arrests.”
In the supplementary sanctions packages tied to digital repression, the Organization for the Regulation of Audio and Visual Media (SATRA), the IRGC’s Center for the Examination of Organized Crimes (Seraj Center), and the Working Group for Determining Criminal Content have also been named as entities playing a direct role in the “control, censorship, and suppression of communications and cyberspace.”
Experts believe that at the political level these measures go beyond mere “sanctions.” The formal redefinition of the IRGC as a terrorist actor in Europe carries broader implications: increasing the risks of financial and legal engagement with affiliated structures, strengthening the legal basis for accountability efforts, and at the same time raising the political cost of normalizing relations with institutions responsible for repression.
Reactions indicate that this process in Europe has moved beyond a purely “symbolic” or media-driven stance. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, voiced support for the EU’s move to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, calling it “the right decision” and emphasizing the need to “stand firm.” Meanwhile, Hadja Lahbib (EU Commissioner) referred to the decision to impose new sanctions on individuals involved in the crackdown and spoke of the European Union’s support for investigations and fact-finding mechanisms into the killing of protesters.

Repression and Arrests
Security Agents’ Presence in Schools and Harsh Situation at Mashhad Detention Centers
Despite the subsiding of the street phase of the protests, field reports indicate that arrests and prosecution continue, and in some areas have been accompanied by new waves of mass arrests. According to HRANA, at least 706 citizens were arrested over the past 24 hours in the cities of Dezful, Yazd, Borujen, Borujerd, and Nur. In addition, the Public Security Police of FARAJA reported the arrest of 327 protesters nationwide since December 28, while the General Directorate of Intelligence of Hormozgan Province announced the arrest of 65 citizens in connection with the protests.
Individual arrests by security forces follow the street-level crackdown. HRANA has reported the detention and continued lack of information regarding several detained individuals: Maedeh Dowlatabadi (21) in Urmia, who is being held in a security detention facility; as well as Farhad Jangi-Zehi (Minab) and Ehsan Nedaei-Hour (Ramsar), who were arrested on different dates and remain in custody.
At the same time, arrests among students have also continued. HRANA has reported the detention of Amin Norouzi and Ilya Bakhshaie (two students in Yazd), as well as Yousef Yousefi, a student at Kharazmi University of Technology in Tehran, during the protests.
One indicator of the continuation of repression is the transfer of security pressure into schools. Reports indicate that security agents have been dispatched to schools and have spoken with students in an effort to impose the official narrative of the protests. An 18-year-old student from Bandar Abbas stated that in recent days, agents have been sent to schools and are attempting to promote the government’s official account.
Taken together, these data suggest that the policy of control has shifted from the “street” to universities, schools, and detention centers, aiming to prevent the re-emergence of protests through sustained pressure and the cultivation of lasting fear.

Crackdowns in Medical Facilities
Reports related to the treatment of the injured most clearly reflect the intensity of pressure and repression, where seeking medical care can turn into a risk of arrest. According to an account from a source in Tehran, a large number of citizens with pellet-gun injuries to the eyes sought treatment at a specialized ophthalmology hospital in the city. After the protests ended, representatives from the medical sciences university and security institutions visited the hospital, extracted the names of all individuals hospitalized between January 8 and January 12, and took the information with them.
The Deputy for Nursing Affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Health said that if individuals seek treatment and provide a different name, “no one conducts an inspection,” and that identity verification is only required if insurance is used, a claim that effectively acknowledges the presence of fear and the issue of identity checks, even though it does not directly reference security forces entering hospitals. Abbas Abadi, the Ministry’s Deputy for Nursing Affairs, also warned about the consequences of delayed treatment, stating that postponement can lead to wound infections and the need for complex surgeries.
At the international level, the World Health Organization announced that amid the widespread crackdown on protesters, it has confirmed an attack on a hospital in Iran and emphasized the necessity of protecting healthcare facilities and ensuring unhindered access to medical services.
Taken together, these reports indicate that the “space of medical care” has also become part of the security arena, from extracting the names of the injured to heightened fear of seeking treatment, and multiple reports of the abduction or arrest of wounded individuals.

Teachers’ Statement and the Killing of Several Educators
The Coordination Council of Teachers’ Trade Associations of Iran stated in a communiqué that, alongside references to mounting security pressures, several teachers were killed during the protests: Kamran Akbari, Karamali A‘laei, and Reza Karimi-Far (Ansari-Far).

Statistics
- Total protest locations/incidents in cities: 660;
- Number of cities: 203;
- Number of provinces: 31;
- Injured civilians: 11,020;
- Arrested minors, adolescents, and students: 326;
- Arrested students: 70;
- Forced confessions: 281;
- Summonses: 11,027;
- Total protesters killed: 6,092;
- Including minors: 118;
- Military/government-affiliated forces: 214;
- Non-protester civilians: 55;
- Total deaths: 6,479;
- Cases under review: 17,091 cases.

Summary
Day 33 of the protests was marked by the continuation of post-crackdown repression, including ongoing arrests, an expanded security presence in schools, and sustained pressure on detention centers and medical facilities. At the same time, international developments, most notably the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization and the imposition of targeted European sanctions, underscore that the repression file remains active and is entering a phase of intensified diplomatic and human rights pressure.

https://www.en-hrana.org/day-33-of-protests-eu-designates-irgc-as-a-terrorist-organization-as-repression-persists/