The Karaj Dam’s Reservoir Can Only Supply Tehran’s Drinking Water for Two WeeksFrom the beginning of the 2025–2026 water year until February 1, the total water inflow into the country’s dam reservoirs reached 7 billion and 340 million cubic meters. This figure shows a 4% decrease compared to 7 billion and 640 million cubic meters during the same period last year. During the same period, the total water stored in the country’s dams was reported at 18 billion and 770 million cubic meters, which is 16% less than last year. According to these figures, 64% of the country’s dam reservoir capacity is empty, meaning that about two-thirds of Iran’s water storage capacity remains unused, and the unfavorable trend in reservoir levels continues.
Rainfall in Iran Has Been Higher Than Last Year, But 64% of Dam Reservoirs Are Still Empty
The latest statistics on the condition of Iran’s dams show that the volume of water entering reservoirs during the current water year has declined, and a significant portion of the country’s dam capacity remains empty.
On Friday, February 6, the state-run ILNA news agency, reported in a statistical analysis that although rainfall has increased compared to last year, it remains below the long-term average and has failed to compensate for the water resource deficit.
According to the report, as of February 1, 64% of dam reservoirs were empty. In one example, the Amir Kabir Dam (also known as Karaj Dam, located in Alborz Province), with only 1% capacity filled, shows an 81% decrease compared to the same period last year.
Paris Conference Ahead of International Women’s Day Highlights Women’s Leadership in Iran’s Democratic Alternative
On February 21, 2026, just weeks before International Women’s Day, a conference in Paris gathered Iranian opposition figures and former ministers, parliamentarians, and international officials around a single proposition: that women’s leadership is not an adjunct to political change in Iran, but its precondition.
Hosted by Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the event brought together speakers from Europe and North America who returned repeatedly to three elements: the centrality of women in Iran’s protest movement, the NCRI’s Ten-Point Plan as a governing framework, and the role of organized Resistance Units inside the country. The rejection of both clerical rule and a return to monarchy formed a steady refrain.
Framing the Uprising
Opening the conference, Sarvnaz Chitsaz, chair of the NCRI’s Women’s Committee, tied International Women’s Day to what she described as the bloodshed of the January uprising. She said the NCRI had identified 2,411 dead, including women and children, and stressed that regime authorities are obscuring the scale of the crackdown through internet blackouts.Quoting a slogan heard in protests — “Death to the oppressor, whether Shah or Supreme Leader” — Chitsaz presented the uprising as a verdict not only on the current establishment but on dictatorship in all forms. Iran’s future, she argued, “does not lie in a return to a monarchy,” but in “freedom, equality, and a republic based on the will of the people.” She pointed to the Ten-Point Plan advanced by Rajavi as a practical political roadmap.Maryam Rajavi on X: "Women’s leadership, an imperative for a free Iran, a democratic republic #IWD2026 https://t.co/rUDs1vCQNw" / X
— Iran Focus (@Iran_Focus) February 21, 2026
“No to Compulsion”
In her keynote address, Rajavi defined women’s leadership as the “litmus test” separating democratic change from recycled authoritarianism. “No to compulsory hijab, no to compulsory religion, and no to compulsory governance,” she said, summing up the movement’s rejection of state-imposed conformity in both public and private life. Rajavi described the NCRI as an organization with a women-majority structure and decades of women in command roles. The alternative she outlined included free elections, separation of religion and state, gender equality, abolition of the death penalty, and a non-nuclear republic. On the question of monarchy, she was explicit: Iranians want “neither the crown nor the turban.” Her remarks set the tone for a conference in which international speakers frequently tied their endorsement of democratic change to the prominence of women in the organized opposition.International Endorsements
Former French minister Michèle Alliot-Marie linked democracy directly to women’s participation in power. “There is no democracy without the presence of women in all decision-making bodies,” she said, describing the freedoms outlined in Rajavi’s plan as the substance of a democratic Iran that European supporters should defend. Former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands challenged what she described as nostalgia for the Shah’s era, arguing, “A dictatorship, by definition, cannot offer gender equality.” She framed the Ten-Point Plan as the route to a secular democratic republic “whether crowned or turbaned.” Former Prime Minister of Finland Anneli Jäätteenmäki focused on sustained repression and international responsibility. She warned of rising executions reported by rights groups and cited European measures targeting the IRGC as evidence of a firmer approach, urging continued support for “Iran’s civil society, independent media, and human rights and women’s rights.” Colombian former senator Ingrid Betancourt framed women’s rights as inseparable from democratic legitimacy. “Lineage is not legitimacy,” she said, arguing that equality postponed until after political change would remain fragile. She contrasted that with what she described as the NCRI’s internal structure, built around women’s leadership. Across interventions from lawmakers in Spain, Italy, Canada, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, and Portugal, a similar pattern emerged. Speakers described women as “organizers, leaders, and the political engine of the mobilization,” emphasized that democratic change requires institutional preparation, and endorsed Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan as a structured alternative.Organization and Preparedness
References to “Resistance Units” inside Iran surfaced repeatedly. Canadian MP Judy Sgro described the prominence of women and youth in recent protests as the result of decades of organizing rather than a sudden development, calling the Ten-Point Plan “a constitution ready to go.” Former White House official Linda Chavez said the current moment had shifted from whether change would come to “when and how.” She described the NCRI as an organized political movement rather than a single personality and defended the Ten-Point Plan as a practical program. Italian MP Naike Gruppioni recounted a visit to Ashraf 3, describing it as “not a theoretical abstraction, but a concrete organization,” marked by discipline and long-term planning. Former Portuguese defense minister Helena Carreiras drew a parallel with her country’s post-authoritarian transition, saying “democracy does not rhyme with dynasty” and insisting that legitimacy must rest on democratic choice.Legal and Multilateral Dimensions
The conference also incorporated a legal framework. Karen Smith, former UN Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, warned that the recent crackdown fits a decades-long pattern of systematic state violence. Citing a U.N. fact-finding mission, she said women activists have been specifically targeted and that investigations into possible crimes against humanity should remain on the international agenda. Spanish senators detailed a unanimous resolution condemning executions, torture, arbitrary detention, and repression of women and minorities in Iran, endorsing Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan and supporting stronger measures against the IRGC. They framed the cross-party backing as evidence that support for women’s rights and democratic standards transcends political divisions. Dominique Attias, former president of the European Bars Federation, described Iranian women as “not spectators of history” but its actors, linking the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom” to what she characterized as a long-standing and organized resistance.Personal Accounts
Personal testimony punctuated the proceedings. Historian Azadeh Akhbari described being imprisoned as a child after the 1979 revolution and losing relatives executed for ties to the opposition. She referred to her family’s experience as spanning “a century of oppression, first by monarchy and then by the religious dictatorship.” Vida Niktalean of the Women’s Association for Democracy in Iran traced her activism in exile to arrests and executions among classmates and relatives, crediting Rajavi with building a generation of women trained to lead collectively. Zinat Mirhashemi invoked images of families singing and dancing in mourning as acts of defiance, arguing that discrimination against women has been a central pillar of the ruling system and that its erosion signals structural change.A Consistent Message
Across ideological and national lines, the rejection of both clerical rule and monarchical restoration surfaced repeatedly in the phrase: “No to the Shah, no to the Mullahs.” The Ten-Point Plan functioned as the conference’s connective framework, described as a “democratic roadmap” and a “practical political program.” By the conference’s close, the tone was declarative. Speakers spoke of timing and transition rather than possibility. They invoked parliamentary resolutions, international investigations, organized networks inside Iran, and a leadership structure centered on women. As International Women’s Day approaches, the Paris gathering presented a coordinated message: that in the view of the Iranian Resistance and its international supporters, the credibility of any democratic future for Iran will be measured by whether women stand at the center of political power — and whether a secular republic replaces both “the crown” and “the turban.”UN Experts Warn About Fate of Disappeared Protesters in Iran
A group of United Nations human rights experts, in an official statement, called on officials of Iran’s regime to transparently disclose the fate and whereabouts of detainees and those who have disappeared during nationwide protests, and to immediately halt the implementation of all death sentences related to the demonstrations.
The statement, published on Thursday, February 20, 2026, warns about the situation of thousands of detained protesters and the widespread concerns of their families. According to the experts, Iranian authorities have so far confirmed 3,117 deaths and around 3,000 arrests, but human rights organizations estimate the real number of those killed and detained to be in the tens of thousands. Among the detainees are children, civil activists, journalists, lawyers, doctors, artists, and even Afghan nationals.
Amnesty International warns of execution risk for 30 protesters in IranThe experts emphasized that many families are deprived of any regular contact with their loved ones and remain in complete uncertainty. They warned that the government’s refusal to provide information about the whereabouts of detainees intensifies the climate of ambiguity and mistrust and will reinforce “the worst-case scenarios.” The statement reads: People of Iran have the right to know what is happening in their country.
People of Iran have the right to know what is happening in their country
These warnings come as widespread internet restrictions have entered their sixth week. According to reports, full internet access is available only to government-approved users, while a large portion of citizens face severe limitations or must rely on expensive VPN services. At the same time, reports have emerged of street inspections during which security forces check citizens’ mobile phones for protest-related content, including images, videos, and social media activity.Ms. Mai Sato and human rights rapporteurs described the situation in Iran as painful
The experts also expressed concern over the broadcast of what they described as forced confessions on state media and stressed that labeling protesters as terrorists while they are exercising their fundamental rights constitutes a clear violation of human rights principles. The statement emphasizes that the prohibition of enforced disappearance, torture, and violations of the right to life are considered peremptory norms of international law and cannot be suspended or violated under any circumstances. The experts called for the immediate halt of all executions, disclosure of the fate of the disappeared, release of arbitrarily detained individuals, full restoration of access to communications, and the conduct of independent and impartial investigations into human rights violations. Among the signatories of the statement are special rapporteurs and members of several human rights working groups, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on torture, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and other independent experts in the fields of judiciary, minorities, health, privacy, and counterterrorism. This latest stance has pushed international pressure on Tehran into a new phase following the recent widespread protests and has made demands for transparency and accountability one of the central pillars of the international community’s expectations.Chants of ‘Death to Khamenei’ and ‘Death to the dictator’ in Iran’s universities
On the first day of the reopening of universities, students at Sharif University of Technology and Amirkabir University of Technology held protest gatherings, turning these two major higher education centers into scenes of protest against the ruling establishment. The gatherings began with chants of “Death to Khamenei”—referring to regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei—and “Death to the dictator,” and at Sharif University escalated into clashes between students and Basij forces, the paramilitary force affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to reports published by student sources, from the early hours of Saturday, February 21, a group of students at Sharif University of Technology gathered on campus. They voiced their protest against political conditions and ongoing repression by chanting slogans such as “So many years of crimes, death to the mullahs’ rule,” “We did not give martyrs to compromise, nor to praise a murderous leader,” and “Death to the dictator.” The chant “Freedom, freedom, freedom” was also repeatedly heard among the crowd.
Fortieth-Day Memorials in Iran Turned into Nationwide ProtestsAs the gathering continued, Basij forces entered the campus to disperse the students. This move was met with resistance from the students and led to verbal and physical confrontations. In response to the presence of these forces, protesting students chanted “shame on you, shame on you.” Reports indicate that the atmosphere at the university remained tense for several hours. At the same time, students at Amirkabir University of Technology also held a protest gathering, chanting slogans against the regime as a whole. Among the slogans heard at this university were “This is the final message, the target is the entire regime,” “This year is the year of blood, Seyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown “and “This fallen flower has become a gift to the homeland,” a slogan often used to honor those killed in protests. Students also emphasized the continuation of protests and their opposition to the current situation. In another part of the gathering at Sharif University, slogans such as “We will not have a country until the mullahs are buried” and “We fight, we die, we will take back Iran” were chanted. Images published on social media also show a large student presence and a protest atmosphere on the campuses of these universities. These events come at a time when universities in recent years have repeatedly become centers of student protests. The gatherings on Saturday demonstrate that despite the heavy security atmosphere and the presence of Basij forces, student protests continue, and universities have once again become arenas for raising political and social demands.
The Iranian Regime’s Clandestine Influence and Infiltration Networks in Europe
Based on a comprehensive investigative report published by the French outlet “Le Diplomate” a sprawling and highly structured network of clandestine influence operated by the Iranian regime has deeply penetrated European societies, elites, and decision-making centers. The detailed exposé reveals how Tehran, particularly since the 2013–2015 nuclear negotiations, has seamlessly blended traditional diplomacy with covert infiltration tactics, utilizing academic circles, think tanks, cultural associations, and parliamentary friendship groups to shape Western policy. This strategic maneuvering comes at a critical juncture; with Iran’s regional proxies severely weakened following the geopolitical shifts of the summer of 2025, and the regime facing unprecedented internal isolation following the bloody massacre of protesters during the massive nationwide uprisings of December 2025 and January 2026, Tehran is increasingly relying on its European networks to break its diplomatic isolation, circumvent sanctions, and legitimize its grip on power.
The IRGC is Trying to Wipe Traces of its Crimes During Nationwide ProtestsThe foundation of this influence operation was starkly exposed by recent international leaks, most notably the thousands of emails from Mostafa Zahrani, a former director at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, obtained by Semafor. These communications unveiled the “Iran Experts Initiative” (IEI), a coordinated effort orchestrated by Iranian diplomats, including Saeed Khatibzadeh, to cultivate a core group of “second-generation” Iranians living in the West. These individuals were strategically placed within prestigious Western think tanks and government institutions to echo Tehran’s narratives under the guise of independent academic analysis. Prominent figures implicated in this network include Ariane Tabatabai, who secured high-level, security-cleared positions at the Pentagon and within Robert Malley’s nuclear negotiation team, as well as Dina Esfandiary and Ali Vaez at the International Crisis Group. Their primary function, according to the report, has been to subtly steer Western capitals toward accommodating Tehran’s demands regarding the nuclear program and sanctions, while systematically disseminating the false narrative that no credible, organized democratic opposition exists against the clerical regime. The institutional mapping of this infiltration is further corroborated by the “Friends of a Free Iran” (FoFI) report presented to the European Parliament in November 2023, and notably by an exhaustive 86-page investigation titled “The Infiltration of the Islamic Republic of Iran in France,” directed by Gilles Platret for the “France 2050” think tank in the fall of 2025. This latter report identifies France as a primary laboratory for Tehran’s operations, pointing to the Iranian Embassy in Paris as the central continental hub for these activities. The strategy relies heavily on “hybrid actors” who operate at the intersection of diplomacy, academia, and civil society. A prime example cited is Alireza Khalili, who simultaneously serves as the chief of staff to the Iranian Ambassador in Paris, the president of the Franco-Iranian Centre (CFI), and a university professor of geopolitics. This calculated overlap allows Iranian operatives to infiltrate French academic, media, and political circles, using ostensibly benign cultural events as platforms for recruiting influential voices and advancing the regime’s strategic agenda. The report also serves as a grim reminder that this “soft power” is intrinsically linked to state-sponsored terrorism, recalling the case of Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian intelligence officer operating under diplomatic cover who was convicted in Belgium for orchestrating a foiled bomb plot against the Iranian opposition gathering in Paris in 2018.
Iran Marks 100 Executions in One Week, 241 Executions in Three WeeksOne of the most vulnerable and under-regulated vectors of this foreign interference lies within European parliamentary institutions, particularly the “friendship groups.” The report casts a critical eye on the France-Iran friendship group in the French National Assembly, recently reactivated under the presidency of Socialist MP Ayda Hadizadeh. The investigation highlights a troubling lack of transparency and geopolitical vetting within these parliamentary bodies, which can easily be transformed into Trojan horses for foreign state lobbying. Hadizadeh herself has sparked controversy with proposals that align remarkably well with Tehran’s official rhetoric. At a time when French diplomacy is actively working to free its citizens held hostage in Iran, she suggested inviting the Iranian ambassador for a media exchange at the Assembly. Furthermore, in an interview with Le Figaro, she proposed facilitating a dialogue between democratic forces that included the son of the former Shah—a figure associated with a deposed dictatorship—while explicitly excluding the main organized resistance, the MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq). This systematic exclusion perfectly mirrors the Iranian regime’s intense animosity and propaganda campaigns against its most structured opposition. The academic and media spheres are equally targeted, with universities often unwittingly providing a veneer of legitimacy to Tehran’s proxies. The report scrutinizes a June 11, 2025, colloquium held at the prestigious Sorbonne University, which was quietly co-organized by “Asre Goftego Qalam,” a Tehran-based institute directly linked to the Iranian Ministry of Culture and recently praised by Iran’s cyber police, alongside “Ferdossi Legal.” Such events are designed to lobby for the lifting of international sanctions under the guise of pluralistic intellectual debate. The fallout of this infiltration was visible on French television, where individuals like Kevan Gafaïti, another colloquium participant, appeared on networks like LCI to downplay and minimize the sheer scale of the regime’s brutal massacres of protesters in January 2026. The investigative report explains that Tehran enforces this loyalty not necessarily through ideological alignment, but through a sophisticated system of blackmail and “hostage diplomacy.” By controlling visa access for dual nationals, journalists, and researchers who desperately need to visit Iran for family or professional reasons, the regime coerces them into compliance, forcing them to parrot state narratives and attack the opposition—a tactic heavily documented by German domestic intelligence (BfV) and independent journalists alike. Ultimately, “Le Diplomate” warns that Europe suffers from a dangerous structural blindness, having concentrated its anti-interference mechanisms almost entirely on Russia and China while leaving a massive blind spot regarding Iran. The report concludes that a purely moral or legal response is insufficient; Europe must adopt a stance of absolute “Realpolitik.” This requires the immediate implementation of specific registries for foreign-funded entities, strict oversight and transparency mandates for parliamentary friendship groups, and rigorous security audits of academic partnerships with Iranian institutions. By failing to recognize this meticulously orchestrated infiltration as a low-cost, high-yield weapon of asymmetric warfare, Western democracies are essentially granting the Iranian regime unchecked leverage to manipulate public opinion, neutralize opposition voices, and shape the very policies intended to contain it.
Amnesty International warns of execution risk for 30 protesters in Iran
Amnesty International announced that at least 30 people, including several children, are at risk of execution following the nationwide protests of January 2026 and called for the immediate halt of executions and the overturning of the convictions.
Amnesty International said on Friday, February 20, 2026, that officials of Iran’s regime must immediately stop the execution of eight individuals who have been sentenced to death in connection with the January 2026 protests.
The organization also called for the annulment of the convictions and an end to the rushed and grossly unfair judicial proceedings against at least 22 others.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also called on February 19, 2026, for the immediate release of all children detained during the protests in Iran and stressed that the detention of children in all forms must end.
Expressing concern over the continued detentions, the UN agency called for independent access to the children and for Iran’s regime to uphold its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Risk of execution for at least 30 people
According to information compiled by Amnesty International, at least 30 people are facing the death penalty in connection with the protests that took place in January 2026. Eight of them, who were sentenced to death in February within weeks of their arrest, are 18-year-old Saleh Mohammadi, 19-year-old Mohammadamin Biglari, Ali Fahim, Abolfazl Salehi Siavoshani, Amirhossein Hatami, Shahin Vahedparast Kolour, Shahab Zahedi, and Yaser Rajaeifar. At least 22 others, including two 17-year-old teenagers, are currently on trial or awaiting trial. Amnesty International stated that these individuals have faced confessions extracted under torture and other serious violations of their right to a fair trial, including being denied access to a lawyer during the investigation phase and the refusal to accept independent lawyers chosen by their families. Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director, said: “The Iranian authorities are once again laying bare the depth of their disregard for the right to life and justice by threatening expedited executions and imposing death sentences in fast-tracked trials, only weeks after arrest. “Children and young adults form the bulk of those caught in the machinery of state repression following the January protests,” she added The organization said the actual number of people at risk of execution is likely much higher, as authorities prevent families from speaking out and hold detainees in incommunicado detention. Amnesty International urged UN member states and regional and international bodies to take immediate and coordinated diplomatic action to overturn the death sentences of Mohammadi and Biglari and to prevent further death sentences from being issued. The organization also called for UN special rapporteurs, the UN fact-finding mission on Iran, and embassy representatives to be granted access to detention centers and allowed to attend court proceedings.Show trials and forced confessions
Mohammadi, 18, was arrested on January 5, 2026, and on February 4, 2026, was sentenced to death by Branch one of the Criminal Court of Qom province on charges of involvement in the killing of a security officer, an accusation he has denied. Amnesty International said that he retracted his “confessions” in court and stated they had been obtained under torture, but the court dismissed the claim without investigation. Nineteen-year-old Biglari and six others were also sentenced to death on February 9, 2026, by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Abolghasem Salavati, on charges of “enmity against God” and for “setting fire to a Basij base.” The Basij is a paramilitary force affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).EU Designates IRGC as Terrorist Organization Amid Escalating Repression in IranAccording to an informed source who spoke with Amnesty International, Biglari was subjected to enforced disappearance for weeks and was denied access to a lawyer during the investigation phase. Amnesty International stated that these two teenagers are facing charges punishable by death despite the explicit prohibition of executing individuals who were under 18 at the time of the alleged offense. The organization emphasized that since 2022, following nationwide protests, the use of the death penalty in Iran has increased, and in 2025 the highest number of executions since 1989 was recorded. Amnesty International called for the situation in Iran to be referred to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and for the prosecution of responsible officials under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
Fortieth-Day Memorials in Iran Turned into Nationwide Protests
Simultaneously with the holding of the fortieth-day ceremonies (marking the 40th day after the death of the uprising’s martyrs) for several victims of the January uprising, various cities across Iran witnessed large public gatherings. In Fars Province, in the city of Nurabad Mamasani, a large number of citizens gathered to commemorate two individuals killed during the protests, Mehdi Ahmadi and Abolfazl Heydari Mouselou.
In the city of Qir, also in Fars Province, the fortieth-day ceremony for Abolfazl Heydari Mouselou was held at his gravesite with the participation of thousands. The crowd commemorated him by chanting slogans such as “Death to the dictator,” “Abolfazl, may your soul be happy,” “This fallen flower has sacrificed himself for the homeland,” and “An Iranian dies but does not accept humiliation.” According to local reports, the atmosphere of the مراسم was marked by a large public presence and explicit protest slogans.
Iran: 1,100 Executions Over Three Months; An Ongoing MassacreAt the same time, the fortieth-day ceremony for Mehdi Ahmadi was held in Nurabad Mamasani. Participants kept his memory alive by chanting slogans including “Death to the IRGC”—referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a key military and security force of the Iranian regime—and “Death to Khamenei,” referring to regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Images and reports published on social media indicate that a significant crowd attended the ceremony, and the event turned into a protest against the Iranian regime. In a similar development, in Golestan Province, a fortieth-day ceremony was also held for martyr Nahayat Rahimi Dashti, a young woman who, according to reports, was shot in the neck and killed on Thursday, January 8, at Kakh Square in the city of Gorgan. During the ceremony, her mother addressed the attendees with moving words, saying: “My child was not a passerby; she was a fighter! She went for her homeland!” These ceremonies were held as the fortieth-day commemorations of the January protest victims in recent weeks have increasingly become venues for expressing public anger and renewing the protesters’ demands. The broad public participation and the repetition of political slogans at these events indicate the continuation of a tense social atmosphere in several cities. The simultaneous holding of these ceremonies in several cities—from Qir to Nurabad Mamasani and Gorgan—once again demonstrated that the fortieth-day mourning rituals for those killed are not merely memorial services but have become platforms for expressing protest and social solidarity.
Iran: 1,100 Executions Over Three Months; An Ongoing Massacre
Following a new wave of executions in Iran, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the main Iranian opposition coalition, announced in a statement that between Saturday, February 14, and Tuesday, February 17, at least 58 prisoners were executed in various prisons across the country, including two women. According to the report, the implementation of death sentences continues at an unprecedented pace, and in recent days dozens more prisoners have lost their lives.
Iran Marks 100 Executions in One Week, 241 Executions in Three WeeksAccording to the figures provided, 12 people were executed on Tuesday, February 17; 15 on Monday, February 16; 15 on Sunday, February 15; and 16 on Saturday, February 14. Earlier, 34 prisoners had been executed on February 9 and 10, and another 12 on February 12. These figures indicate a sharp rise in the implementation of death sentences over a short period of time. Another part of the report refers to the death of a 22-year-old man named Nima Jafari in a detention center run by the Intelligence Ministry in Bandar Abbas, a city in southern Iran. He had been arrested on February 6, and a few days later his body was returned to his family. Authorities declared the cause of death to be suicide, a claim that has been met with serious doubts and questions. At the same time, statistics published by human rights organizations show that the execution trend has risen alarmingly this year. According to the published data, the total number of executions from March 21, 2025 (the beginning of the Persian year), to February 20, 2026, has so far reached 2,555 cases. Since mid-2024, during the tenure of Iranian regime president Masoud Pezeshkian, 3,522 executions have also been reported. According to statistical data, there were 375 executions in December 2025 and 375 executions in January 2026, coinciding with a nationwide uprising, bringing the total number of these executions so far to over 1,100. The increase in executions in recent months has been met with widespread human rights reactions and has once again brought the issue of the death penalty in Iran to the forefront of attention by international bodies and human rights advocates.
Three Iranians Arrested for Transferring Google Trade Secrets to Iran
The FBI announced that two Iranian sisters and the husband of one of them, who previously worked at Google, were arrested in the United States on Thursday, February 19, 2026, on charges of stealing technical information related to the search engine and other technologies and transferring this information to Iran.
Samaneh Ghandali, 41, and her husband, Mohammad Javad Khosravi, 40, along with her sister Sarvar Ghandali, 32, a resident of San Jose, were arrested on Thursday.
All three previously worked at Google and were active in the field of mobile computer processors.
Political Prisoners from Ghezel Hesar and Yazd: Voices from Behind BarsThe three are accused of transferring trade secrets related to processor security, encryption, and other technologies from Google and other technology companies to unauthorized third-party and personal locations, including work devices associated with each other’s employers, and to Iran. According to the report, after Google’s internal security systems detected Samaneh Ghandali’s activities, her access to company resources was terminated in 2023. In another example of such activities, Swedish media reported about one month ago on the arrest of two Iranian-born brothers on suspicion of industrial espionage for Iran’s regime in Sweden. This case involves high-level industrial espionage targeting a sensitive company in the field of medical and healthcare technology. The prosecutor in the case said the company produces products related to medical treatment. According to him, the company detected suspicious behavior by the two Iranian-born brothers, who are suspects in the case, and filed a complaint with the police. They were arrested about five months ago. Swedish outlet TV4 News reported that the investigation into the highly confidential case is ongoing in cooperation with Sweden’s Security Service. The two Iranian-born brothers have lived in Sweden for several decades, and the older brother has been under investigation for high-level espionage since the beginning of the current calendar year. The other brother is also suspected of theft in the same high-profile case. He was recently released from detention on conditional bail. In the fall of 2022, two Iranian brothers in Sweden were charged with spying for Russia. According to reports published in Sweden, Iranian students and researchers abroad are participating in a program aimed at acquiring knowledge that could be used by the military industries of Iran’s regime.
Political Prisoners from Ghezel Hesar and Yazd: Voices from Behind Bars
In February 2026, two political prisoners held in Iran’s prison system—one under a sentence of death—sent messages from prison describing intensifying repression, secret detentions, and what they characterize as crimes against humanity. From Ghezel Hesar Prison and Yazd Prison, they warned of escalating abuses while expressing unwavering belief in the ultimate victory of the Iranian people.
“The Main Earthquake Is Still Ahead”
From Ghezel Hesar Prison, political prisoner Shahrokh Daneshvar Kar, currently on death row, wrote that the nationwide uprising was neither unexpected nor over. “It had been completely clear for months that an uprising in Iran was on the way,” he stated. Referring to the January events, he described them as “only a pre-earthquake,” adding: “The main earthquake that will bring down the throne of Khamenei’s rule lies ahead of us and is inevitable.”According to Daneshvar Kar, once protests gained momentum, efforts were made to manipulate their direction. He argued that what was “entirely an internal uprising” was portrayed as externally driven in order to serve the interests of the ruling establishment. He placed responsibility for the crackdown on regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. “Khamenei, the executioner, ordered that the protesters be put in their place,” he wrote. “The repression apparatus labeled freedom-seeking people as ‘terrorists’ and, with full brutality, began killing, committing ‘crimes against humanity,’ and carrying out mass arrests.” While public attention has focused on images of violence in the streets, Daneshvar Kar stressed that many abuses remain hidden. “Young people and many citizens have been arrested, and there is no news or trace of them,” he warned, noting that detainees range “from minors under 18 to elderly women and men” who are being held in secret detention centers or official prisons. Drawing on his own experience within the judicial and security system, he described what he says detainees now face: “brutal physical torture,” “false promises,” and “repeated threats by interrogators.” He explained the purpose of such treatment: “All this pressure is solely aimed at extracting forced confessions and fabricating cases to justify unjust and baseless sentences.” Facing execution himself, Daneshvar Kar issued an appeal beyond Iran’s borders. “I call on awakened consciences, human rights institutions and international bodies responsible for protecting human dignity and preventing human rights violations and genocide to move beyond verbal ‘condemnations’ and mere ‘expressions of concern’ and take concrete and decisive action.” He urged immediate measures to secure the release of detainees, conduct prison inspections, and hold authorities accountable. “Even today is late,” he warned. “Many lives are in danger.” Addressing families of detainees, he encouraged them not to yield to pressure or deception by intelligence agents and to publicize arrests and deaths “as quickly as possible and with details.” “Remember,” he wrote, “the very foundation of solitary confinement is to cut the detainee off from the outside world so that they imagine there is no option but to believe the interrogators. With the silence of families, the hand of repression becomes freer and the solitary cell tighter.” His message was dated February 2026 from Ghezel Hesar Prison.Children Detained During Iran’s January Uprising in Alarming Conditions #IranRevolution #FreeIran2026 #No2ShahNo2Mullahshttps://t.co/41WgQNzPfu
— Iran Focus (@Iran_Focus) February 19, 2026
“We Are the Change We Have Been Waiting For”
In a separate statement dated February 15, 2026, political prisoner Parisa Kamali wrote from Yazd Prison, honoring those killed in the struggle for freedom and affirming hope in the face of repression.“Greetings to the martyrs of the path of freedom and their families,” she began. Reflecting on years of injustice, she wrote: “For years we have mourned the absence of justice and freedom. But for our sisters and brothers—our daughters and sons—who gave their lives like butterflies on this path, we do not wail or despair. We take pride in them.” Kamali pledged that the struggle would continue. “We will never let this flag fall to the ground until the day our homeland Iran is free,” she wrote. “We believe that this blood-stained path will end in victory, and that this blood will cleanse our homeland of these sinister criminals.” In one of the most striking lines of her message, she emphasized collective responsibility: “We are exactly the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change we are seeking.”Imprisoned Sharif Students Send Defiant Messages Ahead of the 40th Day of January Uprising Martyrs #IranProtests #IranRevolution #FreeIran2026 #No2ShahNo2Mullahshttps://t.co/C1oQOLhKSD via @irannewsupdate1
— Iran News Update (@IranNewsUpdate1) February 17, 2026
