Iran’s Regime Pressurizes Families of Killed Protesters

Sia Rajabi
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Iran’s Regime Pressurizes Families of Killed Protesters
After the deadliest suppression of protests in Iran in several decades, Iranian regime authorities have expanded their crackdown beyond the streets to morgues, hospitals, and families’ homes, turning the bodies of protesters into a tool for quelling dissent and controlling the official narrative. Reports show how the bodies of protesters killed in the recent demonstrations are collected, stored, and then handed over under strict security measures.

Morgues under the control of security forces

Videos published on social media show the continued transfer of the bodies of killed Iranians to the Kahrizak Forensic Medicine complex, a state-run forensic center south of Tehran. In one of these videos, dated Wednesday, January 14, dozens of bodies are seen laid on the floor of large, warehouse-like halls inside the complex.
Ali Khamenei Confirms Death of Thousands of People During Recent Protests
In the same video, a trailer can be seen from which security forces are unloading more bodies. Similar videos and reports received from Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, and Rasht report that large numbers of bodies are being held in forensic centers and hospitals. According to field reports, morgues and hospitals are under heavy security, and access to these locations is entirely controlled by Iranian regime security forces. Families who went to these centers seeking information about their missing relatives have described a chaotic atmosphere, long lines, and a lack of effective communication.

Pressure on families

Families attempting to retrieve the bodies of their relatives face intimidation and pressure from security forces, including plainclothes agents and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iranian regime security forces have raided the homes of victims’ families and even their neighbors, searched mobile phones, verbally abused family members, and in some cases fired at walls during nighttime raids. According to these sources, authorities have told families that bodies will only be handed over in the early morning hours. They have also said that burial ceremonies must be held individually and must end by four a.m. Several families have also reported being warned that if they do not accept these conditions, their loved ones’ bodies will be buried collectively without their consent.

Paying the cost of bullets

One of the most frequently mentioned points in public accounts is the demand for money from families in exchange for handing over the bodies of those killed. According to multiple sources, Iranian regime authorities tell families they must pay for each bullet used to kill their loved ones. Depending on the case, the demanded amounts range from 700 million rials to 2.5 billion rials per bullet. At the current exchange rate, these figures are approximately equivalent to 480 to 1,720 dollars. At a time when the average monthly income of a worker in Iran is estimated to be less than 100 dollars, paying such amounts is practically impossible for many families. However, reports from Iran have also mentioned amounts of up to 7,000 dollars for handing over a body. Iranian regime authorities had also employed this practice during previous protest crackdowns, but according to informed sources, its implementation during the recent protests has been unprecedented and on a much broader scale. A message has also been published from the mother of one of those killed, in which she says she buried her child in the garden of their home.

Forced membership in the Basij

A number of families reported that government security officials pressured them to identify their killed relatives as members of the Basij, a paramilitary force affiliated with the regime. According to reports by human rights organizations and informed sources, families have been told that if they agree to the issuance of a Basij membership card for their loved ones, the bodies will be handed over without charge. According to human rights groups, in several cities, free handover of bodies has been conditioned on families declaring that their relatives were Basij members and were killed by protesters. Human rights organizations view this as the imposition of a false identity and an attempt to inflate the official casualty figures of Iranian regime security forces; an action aimed at reinforcing the government’s claim of the presence of “terrorist elements” in the protests.

Severe pressure on medical centers

Published accounts present a picture of intense pressure on hospitals. The high number of gunshot victims and bodies of those killed has pushed medical centers into crisis, and security forces, through direct intervention, prevent the handover of bodies or the holding of burial ceremonies. According to one account, security forces raided the homes of families who had managed to receive the bodies of their loved ones. Another account refers to the suicide of a nurse. According to this report, after being confronted with a large number of killed protesters, she took her own life under severe psychological pressure. Messages received from Isfahan speak of widespread killings, mass arrests, and authorities refusing to hand over the bodies of those killed.

Suppressing mournings

It appears that the government’s restrictions on funeral and burial ceremonies for those killed are intended to prevent public mourning from turning into a focal point for further protests. Some families have said they were forced to bury their loved ones hastily, in silence, and under the surveillance of Iranian regime security forces. Some said they were ordered to refrain from speaking publicly or publishing images, while others reported continued monitoring and surveillance after the burial.

Ali Khamenei Confirms Death of Thousands of People During Recent Protests

Esmaeil Mohades
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Ali Khamenei Confirms Death of Thousands of People During Recent Protests
Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Iranian regime, referring to the recent protests, confirmed the killing of several thousand people and said the Iranian regime does not intend to drag the country into war, but will not let go of “domestic and international criminals.” On Saturday, January 17, Ali Khamenei, in a meeting with individuals close to the regime held on the occasion of “Eid al-Mab’ath,” confirmed the killing of several thousand people during the Iranian national uprising and said: “We do not intend to take the country toward war, but we will not let domestic criminals go. We will not let international criminals go either.”
Slight Increase in Iran’s Internet Connectivity After 200 Hours of Complete Shutdown
Some sources say that the Iranian regime’s repressive forces mainly killed several thousand people over two consecutive nights, Thursday and Friday, January 8 and 9. In explaining the Iranian regime’s method of operation, Khamenei referred to the “early Islamic wars” and the way the first Shiite imam acted, describing him as “victorious in all battles” and implicitly comparing himself to him. At the same time as these remarks, reports circulating on social media from various cities across the country indicate that the bloody suppression of protests, deployment of military forces, raids on homes, confiscation of CCTV camera memory cards, and intensified movement controls have effectively imposed a state of martial law over large parts of Iran.

Khamenei’s warning to Trump

In another part of his remarks, Khamenei said that Donald Trump, the president of the United States, was personally involved in this “sedition,” had “encouraged the seditionists,” and had said he would provide “military support.” He said that from the beginning of the revolution until today, “America’s domination was eliminated under the leadership of Imam Khomeini,” adding: “From day one, they have been thinking about restoring this domination.” Khamenei said: “We put out the sedition, but this is not enough. America must be held accountable.” Khamenei added: “Just as the Iranian nation broke the back of the sedition; it must also break the back of the seditionist.” At the same time as these remarks, the Persian-language account of the U.S. State Department on X announced: “We have heard reports that the Islamic Republic is preparing options to target U.S. bases.” The message emphasized that Washington is closely monitoring developments and has the necessary readiness. The post quoted the U.S. president as saying that “all options remain on the table” and that in the event of any attack on U.S. assets, the Iranian regime would face a very, very powerful force.
Human Rights Watch: Growing Evidence of Mass Killings of Protesters in Iran
At the end, the Persian-language account of the U.S. State Department on X warned that this position had been stated before and was being reiterated: “Don’t play with President Trump.” In another part of his remarks, Khamenei said: “I will not allow insults against the president or the heads of other branches and active officials of the country.” This comes as he himself is the sole target of overthrow slogans by protesters in cities across the country, with demonstrators throughout Iran chanting “This year is the year of blood / Seyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown” and “Death to the dictator.”

Slight Increase in Iran’s Internet Connectivity After 200 Hours of Complete Shutdown

Staff Writer
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Slight Increase in Iran’s Internet Connectivity After 200 Hours of Complete Shutdown
NetBlocks, an internet monitoring and data analysis website, announced that more than 200 hours after the nationwide and complete internet shutdown in Iran, user connectivity has increased only very slightly. The overall level of access remains at around 2% of normal conditions. According to NetBlocks, an internet monitoring and data analysis website, user connectivity to the network has increased only marginally after more than 200 hours of a nationwide and complete internet shutdown in Iran. At the same time, the overall level of access is still reported to be around 2% of normal conditions, and it has been stated that there are no signs of the internet returning to a normal state. According to experts, the reported increase in access is limited and applies only to a small portion of government infrastructure and specific networks; therefore, general public access to the internet remains largely impossible. At the start of the third day of the nationwide internet shutdown, NetBlocks had announced that leaders of the Iranian regime continued to publish their own narrative of events online, while the switch they control silences the voices of 90 million Iranians.
Intensifying Repression to Conceal the Scale of The Crime
According to NetBlocks, this digital blackout violates citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms, and such a nationwide shutdown not only blocks access to information but also conceals the regime’s violence from the eyes of the world and reduces the ability to document events. The nationwide internet shutdown, along with severe restrictions on telephone communications, including mobile and landline phones, occurred at a time when, according to human rights organizations, thousands of people in various cities were killed by regime forces during the popular protests in Dey. There is still no precise figure for those killed in the protests in Iran, but the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran has put the number at more than 3,000 people. The internet shutdown has kept the scale of the catastrophe shrouded in ambiguity. With one-way phone connections from Iran, information is being relayed in a very limited manner to families abroad. Nevertheless, there are also limited methods for making phone calls from outside the country into Iran. Some figures estimate the number of those killed at 12,000 people, while others assess it to be far higher. However, the lack of independent access to sources inside the country has eliminated the possibility of accurately verifying the number of those killed and detained. Iran’s regime cut off the internet nationwide starting on January 8, coinciding with the expansion of protests, in an effort to intensify repression. It is said that widespread images of the bodies of those killed and reports from the protests during these days were published only through a small number of users who had access to Starlink.
Human Rights Watch: Growing Evidence of Mass Killings of Protesters in Iran

Challenges facing Starlink during the Iran protests

Despite reports that some users in Iran have gained access to Starlink satellite internet and that it has been offered free of charge to people during the protests, it appears that internet connectivity via Starlink is also facing many difficulties. According to a report by Reuters, Iran’s regime is now using jammers and fake GPS signals to disrupt Starlink transmissions. The report adds that the repression of opponents in Iran is becoming one of the toughest security tests to date for Elon Musk’s Starlink. This is while, according to the news agency, since its deployment during the war in Ukraine, Starlink has functioned as a vital lifeline against government-imposed internet shutdowns. Reuters notes that SpaceX, the company that owns Starlink, made this satellite service free for Iranians following the nationwide uprising, an action that places Elon Musk’s space company at the center of another geopolitical flashpoint. The report adds that a team of engineers based in the United States is now confronting regime measures involving satellite jammers and signal spoofing tactics. Some experts say that agents of the Iranian regime in Tehran and other cities are using scanner equipment to detect Wi-Fi signals in order to identify Starlink sources in urban areas. Network security specialists recommend that users who are connected to the internet via Starlink pay close attention to necessary security guidelines and adjust settings in a way that minimizes the risk of identification.

Intensifying Repression to Conceal the Scale of The Crime

Hoshang Amiri
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Intensifying Repression to Conceal the Scale of The Crime
As protests and the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people, which began on December 28 in cities across the country, continued, Friday, January 16, witnessed ongoing protests, clashes, intensified state repression, and domestic and international reactions to these developments. This report presents a summarized account of the most important events and news from that day.

Direct fire on protesters

Videos published from the city of Dezful in Khuzestan province show shocking scenes of direct fire by forces loyal to Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Iranian regime, at protesting civilians. These images, from Dezful’s Clock Square, demonstrate the overt use of live ammunition by regime forces against demonstrators and the escalation of organized violence against the popular uprising.

Media narrative-building by institutions affiliated with the IRGC

A news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed in a statement that protesters “possessed various cold and firearms” and were seeking to “seize ammunition depots and military centers.” The outlet also reported that a number of protesters were arrested during attacks on police stations and military sites. These claims are assessed as part of the authorities’ efforts to justify the bloody crackdown and portray popular protests as armed actions.

Human Rights Watch: Growing Evidence of Mass Killings of Protesters in Iran

Mehdi Hosseini
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Human Rights Watch: Growing Evidence of Mass Killings of Protesters in Iran
Human Rights Watch, in a new report, announced growing evidence of “mass killings” carried out by the Iranian regime’s security forces across Iran and stated that the use of live ammunition against unarmed protesters was deliberate and carried out as part of a state policy. The report, published on Friday, January 16, stresses that the Iranian regime’s security forces, following the escalation of nationwide protests since January 8, have coordinated widespread killings of protesters, and it is believed that thousands of protesters and bystanders have been killed. According to the organization, existing evidence shows that many victims were killed or seriously injured by gunshots to the head and upper body. Human Rights Watch stated that severe communication restrictions and a complete internet shutdown have concealed the true scale of these killings. Nevertheless, according to the report, some Iranian officials themselves have acknowledged that the death toll has reached the thousands. Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in response to these findings: “The mass killings by Iran’s security forces since January 8 are unprecedented in the country’s history and once again show that rulers who massacre their own people will continue committing crimes as long as they are not held accountable.”

The necessity of an international response to the crime

According to the published report, Human Rights Watch interviewed 21 people between January 12 and January 14, including eyewitnesses, relatives of victims, journalists, human rights defenders, and medical personnel. These individuals provided the organization with images, audio messages, and accounts of events. Additionally, 51 verified photos and videos were reviewed, and victims’ injuries were assessed by independent forensic medical experts affiliated with the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims. The report adds that despite widespread communication shutdowns, evidence of protesters being killed has emerged in provinces such as Tehran, Alborz, Kermanshah, Razavi Khorasan, Gilan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Markazi, and Mazandaran. One eyewitness in Kermanshah said in an audio message: “They are shooting here; tear gas is everywhere. I am stuck in the street on my way back from work. All the roads are blocked, and security forces are firing.” Human Rights Watch also referred to videos from Tehran showing numerous body bags and piled-up corpses in and around the Kahrizak forensic medicine center. According to the organization, in just a few videos from the same location, at least 400 bodies could be counted, although the actual number is estimated to be higher due to bodies being stacked.

Bags piled with human bodies!

The report goes on to say that state-affiliated media have reported the deaths of at least 121 security force members, a figure that has not been independently verified. However, Human Rights Watch stated it reviewed reports indicating that officials in some cases pressured victims’ families to falsely identify their loved ones as members of the Basij militia in order to receive their bodies. Citing United Nations principles on the use of force, the organization emphasized that the widespread, coordinated, and lethal use of firearms against unarmed protesters shows that authorities deliberately used lethal force as a state policy.

The Twentieth Day of Protests in Iran; Zahedan: “Khamenei Is a Murderer; His Rule Is Illegitimate”

Esmaeil Mohades
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The Twentieth Day of Protests in Iran; Zahedan: “Khamenei Is a Murderer; His Rule Is Illegitimate”
The city of Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan province in southeastern Iran, once again became the scene of popular protests. The protests in Zahedan on Friday, January 16, spilled into the streets immediately after Friday prayers. These gatherings took place in a highly securitized atmosphere. The heavy presence of military forces failed to prevent the outbreak of popular protests. After the end of Friday prayers, a group of Zahedan residents gathered in the streets surrounding Makki Mosque, the main Sunni Mosque in the city. The protesters chanted “Khamenei is a murderer; his rule is illegitimate.” Chants of “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to the dictator” were among the other slogans heard during the Zahedan protests. The protests by the people of Zahedan took place as the Iranian regime, gripped by fear, carried out brutal killings in cities across Iran.

The military siege of Zahedan on the day of protest

As the protests in Zahedan took shape, the city took on a militarized atmosphere. Military and security forces were deployed across the city from the early hours of the day. Roads leading to Makki Mosque were placed under strict control. Military vehicles were widely present in the streets. This heavy deployment severely restricted citizens’ movement. Armed forces set up checkpoints. The regime’s security institutions sought to suppress any gathering. Nevertheless, protests formed and chants echoed throughout the city. The securitized atmosphere in Zahedan was not limited to Friday. In the preceding days, signs of a full security alert were visible throughout the city. Local reports indicated an increased presence of plainclothes security agents. These measures caused widespread concern among residents. On Thursday, January 15, security forces went to shops. These forces appeared in protest-prone neighborhoods of Zahedan and Chabahar, a port city in Sistan and Baluchestan province. They confiscated the memory cards of CCTV cameras. This action was carried out without presenting any judicial warrant. Citizens view this action as an attempt to identify protesters. The collection of footage is considered part of the security pressure ahead of the Zahedan protests. Such behavior has made the atmosphere of repression more overt.

‘Rivers of Blood’; the Horrific Reality of the Massacre of Protesters in Iran

Hoshang Amiri
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‘Rivers of Blood’; the Horrific Reality of the Massacre of Protesters in Iran
In a report on the intensification of the crackdown on protests in Iran, The Telegraph, a British daily newspaper, wrote that hospitals have been filled with bodies and injured people, and doctors report overflowing morgues, severe shortages of medical supplies, and security forces firing directly at protesters. Bodies and wounded individuals arrive at hospitals continuously. Some are brought by ambulances with sirens blaring nonstop; others arrive piled atop one another in pickup trucks, drenched in blood. Still others are brought in private cars by terrified relatives who enter hospital grounds honking their horns and shouting for help. This is the picture of medical facilities in Iran as reported by The Telegraph. This comes as many of the injured have not been transferred to hospitals due to security conditions, and their relatives are trying to treat them at home. Reports have also emerged of bodies being kept in homes out of fear that they might be seized by regime forces and agents of repression. According to The Telegraph, some of the injured were taken to hospitals on foot by their relatives; people who did not wait for transportation, instead carrying their loved ones in their arms or on their shoulders and running.

Men, women, and children …

Some are alive but struggling to breathe. Others died before reaching the hospital. They have gunshot wounds, severe blows to the head, and faces shattered by pellets. Bodies so badly injured that doctors do not know where to begin.

Hospitals on the brink of collapse

The Telegraph’s account and report continue: Dawn brings new wounded. In the afternoons, even more arrive. At night, there is no calm at all. Nearly three weeks of nonstop protests have sent victims of the regime’s repression flooding into Iran’s hospitals at a pace the medical staff cannot handle. Emergency wards are soaked in blood. Morgues have overflowed. Body bags have been moved into courtyards because there is no space left inside to store them. Doctors inside Iran, speaking to the outside world through limited Starlink connections, describe a healthcare system on the brink of collapse. They report days of work without sleep, extreme exhaustion, and shortages of everything. One doctor near Tehran says bodies and wounded people are being brought by trucks, ambulances, and private cars, and many have died because there was not even time to tend to them. He says medical staff collapse from exhaustion and that “rivers of blood are flowing in hospitals.”
Over 50,000 Arrests During the Bloodiest Crackdown

Evidence of widespread killing

According to The Telegraph, Iran’s regime has tried to conceal the scale of this massacre, but evidence sent from inside the country likely shows part of it. Activists, eyewitnesses, and grieving families, despite serious risks, have managed to get documentation of the events out of Iran. The Telegraph writes that the intensity of this crackdown has turned it into one of the bloodiest examples in recent history. The outlet compares the January 2025 killings in Iran to the early years of the Syrian civil war or the massacre of student protesters during the suppression of China’s Tiananmen Square.

Direct fire and raids on hospitals

Eyewitnesses have said that Basij forces and security agents fired live ammunition at protesters and chased them into alleyways. Reports also speak of the severe beating of injured protesters.
Iranian Regime’s Security Forces Attack Another Hospital
The Telegraph wrote that even hospitals are not safe and that security forces have raided medical centers to arrest the wounded and transfer bodies, an action that appears aimed at concealing evidence. Iran’s regime has now abandoned any pretense of restraint. Witnesses report the presence of snipers on rooftops. The goal is no longer dispersing crowds but killing protesters. The intensity of the repression is a sign of the regime’s fear. A regime deeply anxious about its future that has found bloody repression to be its only means of survival. However, experience shows that Iran’s regime faces difficult days ahead and appears unlikely to emerge safely from this predicament.

Over 50,000 Arrests During the Bloodiest Crackdown

Sia Rajabi
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Over 50,000 Arrests During the Bloodiest Crackdown
On Thursday, January 15, the nineteenth day of nationwide protests and uprising in Iran, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) announced that the total number of arrests and detentions related to the nationwide uprising in the country, from September 28, 2025, to January 14, 2026, has exceeded 50,000. According to the report, some detainees were arrested en masse at protest sites and later released, and their exact numbers are unknown. Additionally, surprise arrests through raids on homes, neighborhoods, and even closed workplaces continue. These figures come from field investigations in 144 cities and inquiries in 76 other cities, collected from eyewitnesses, families of detainees, local staff, and prisoners. However, it is evident that obtaining an exact and complete count would only be possible through the establishment of an international fact-finding mission and visits to all prisons and detention centers of Iran’s regime. Reminder of the judiciary chief’s admission of ninety thousand arrests during the 2022 uprising Ejei, head of Iran’s regime judiciary, admitted on April 21, 2025, that during the 2022 uprising “about ninety thousand legal cases” were filed. In this admission, he stated that among the detainees were students, teachers, men and women, and various sectors of society, including workers. UN Security Council meeting on the wave of crackdown in Iran At the international level, the United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency session on Thursday afternoon, January 15, regarding the situation in Iran. This meeting is being convened at the request of the United States and follows warnings from human rights organizations about escalating repression. Previously, Amnesty International had called for urgent action by the Security Council to prevent further killings and emphasized that judicial immunity for perpetrators of repression must end.

Amnesty International Calls Urgent Action by International Community Over Killing of Protesters in Iran

Jubin Katiraie
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Amnesty International Calls Urgent Action by International Community Over Killing of Protesters in Iran
Amnesty International, in a statement, warned that credible evidence, including verified videos and eyewitness testimony, shows that Iranian security forces, during the crackdown on recent protests, have carried out widespread and unprecedented unlawful killings. These actions coincided with a nationwide internet shutdown starting on January 8 and, according to the organization, were carried out with the aim of concealing the truth of the repression. In the Amnesty International statement published on Wednesday, January 14, it is stated that since the start of the new wave of protests on December 28, the deadly crackdown on protesters—who have been largely peaceful—has led to an unprecedented rise in human casualties, and even according to official statements by Iranian authorities, the number of those killed has reached around 2,000. The organization stresses that the continued impunity for crimes committed by security forces during past and current protests has encouraged officials of Iran’s regime to persist with organized violence. Amnesty International called on United Nations member states to take urgent and coordinated action to prevent further bloodshed, including convening special sessions of the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Security Council. The human rights organization also proposed that, to end the cycle of impunity, international justice mechanisms be established to investigate and criminally prosecute perpetrators of international crimes and gross human rights violations, and that the situation in Iran be referred to the International Criminal Court.   Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, expressed concern about the intensity and scale of the killing of protesters since January 8. “Even by the Iranian authorities’ own bleak record of committing gross human rights violations and crimes under international law during successive waves of protests, the severity and scale of killings and repression since 8 January is unprecedented,” she said, adding that the international community must immediately take diplomatic action to protect protesters and confront the state policy of bloodshed.
The Iranian Regime Is Confiscating Satellite Dishes
According to the organization’s findings, security forces—including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Basij units, police, and plainclothes agents—have fired at unarmed protesters from the streets and even from building rooftops, often targeting their heads and upper bodies. Reports indicate that hospitals have been overwhelmed by an influx of wounded people, and families are searching for the bodies of their loved ones in morgues, warehouses, and even trucks. Amnesty International says the continued internet shutdown has severely restricted the ability to independently and accurately document violations and has increased the risk of evidence being destroyed. In conclusion, the human rights organization stressed that without accountability and prosecution of those responsible, the cycle of violence and repression in Iran will continue, and it is the responsibility of the international community to take concrete and urgent action to end this situation.

The Iranian Regime Is Confiscating Satellite Dishes

Mehdi Hosseini
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The Iranian Regime Is Confiscating Satellite Dishes
According to reports from western Iran, government forces have begun a widespread collection of satellite dishes in the city of Qasr-e Shirin in recent hours. Eyewitnesses say the operation is being carried out in an organized manner, with the presence of law enforcement and security forces across various neighborhoods of the city. At the same time, similar reports have been received from Kermanshah and Sanandaj, indicating that this process has expanded to several cities. According to residents, the main aim of these measures is to minimize people’s connection with media outlets and the outside world amid an intensifying security environment. These actions are taking place as internet restrictions and pressure on the free flow of information have increased in recent weeks, and the confiscation of satellite equipment may be part of the authorities’ efforts to exert full control over information dissemination and prevent citizens’ access to independent news.
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