5 January 2026
Since our statement of 31 December 2025, protests and strikes have continued and spread to numerous cities and provinces, while the authorities’ response has been characterized by increased use of force, the militarization of public space, and a rise in arrests.
According to information corroborated from various sources, 25 people have been confirmed dead since the beginning of the movement. In addition, 9 other deaths have been reported but cannot, at this stage, be independently confirmed, bringing the total number of reported deaths to 34. Among those killed are young people and minors.
Furthermore, at least fifty people have been injured, some as a result of direct gunfire or projectile weapons, and several hundred individuals have been arrested, including students, workers, peaceful protesters, and civic activists.
In several localities, consistent testimonies report the use of live ammunition, tear gas fired at close range, beatings during arrests, and the transfer of detainees to unofficial places of detention. Families remain without information about the whereabouts of arrested relatives, raising serious concerns about the risks of incommunicado detention, torture, ill-treatment, and enforced disappearances.
These elements indicate that the security response implemented goes beyond the maintenance of public order and seeks to restrict the exercise of the rights to peaceful assembly, expression, and association, notably through the repeated targeting of students, workers, journalists, and human rights defenders.
We recall that the right to life, the absolute prohibition of torture, the freedom of peaceful assembly, and the freedom of expression are protected under international law and admit no derogation. The maintenance of public order can in no circumstances justify the lethal or disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters, nor arbitrary arrests followed by incommunicado detention.
Given the documented high number of deaths, injuries, and arrests, international responses limited to general calls for restraint remain insufficient.
We call on the international community, in particular the United Nations and its Member States, to:
-
Urgently strengthen independent international mechanisms of investigation and documentation in order to include recent events and ensure the preservation of evidence.
-
Intensify diplomatic pressure through coordinated, public, and unequivocal actions condemning violent repression and arbitrary arrests.
-
Activate targeted accountability mechanisms, in conformity with international law, against individuals and entities involved in serious violations, notably those affecting the right to life and physical integrity.
-
Implement concrete protection measures for persons exposed to immediate risks, including human rights defenders, journalists, students, and witnesses.
The demands expressed through these mobilizations reflect a persistent call for social justice, dignity, and political participation, carried by broad and diverse segments of society.
International solidarity must translate into clear, coherent, and rights-based action. Protecting life, preventing further violations, securing the release of arbitrarily detained persons, and combating impunity are obligations arising from international human rights commitments.
Zagros Human Rights Center
