Human Rights Under Siege in Iran
A Human Rights–Focused Situation Report (January 2026)
Executive Summary
Iran is experiencing a severe human rights crisis amid nationwide protests and an unprecedented information blackout. Since early January 2026, Iranian authorities have imposed sweeping restrictions on internet access, communications, and media reporting, coinciding with a violent crackdown on demonstrators.
Credible reports from human rights organizations, medical sources, journalists, and activist networks indicate widespread violations, including unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, denial of due process, and collective punishment through mass surveillance and raids. The blackout has made independent verification extremely difficult and has likely obscured the true scale of abuses.
1. Background
Protests that began in late December 2025—initially driven by economic collapse—have evolved into a broad movement demanding political accountability and fundamental rights. Demonstrations have been reported across multiple provinces and major cities.
In response, authorities have escalated repression while restricting access to information, a pattern observed in previous protest cycles but now implemented at a far greater scale and duration.
2. Information Blackout as a Human Rights Violation
On or around January 10, 2026, Iranian authorities imposed a near-total internet shutdown, severely limiting mobile data, social media, messaging platforms, and international connectivity.
Human rights implications:
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Right to freedom of expression and access to information (ICCPR Articles 19 & 21) has been systematically violated.
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Obstruction of documentation of abuses, impeding accountability and access to remedy.
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Increased risk of violence: past patterns show that killings and mass arrests rise during blackouts.
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Collective punishment affecting millions, including journalists, medical workers, families, and lawyers.
Reports also indicate efforts to jam satellite internet signals and conduct house-to-house searches to confiscate satellite equipment, further restricting independent reporting.
3. Unlawful Use of Lethal Force
Human rights groups have confirmed hundreds of deaths through hospital records, eyewitness accounts, and verified footage prior to the blackout. Additional reports from activist and opposition-linked networks allege far higher death tolls, potentially in the thousands.
Important caveat: Claims of extremely high casualty figures cannot be independently verified under current conditions due to the blackout, restricted access for observers, and intimidation of medical personnel. However, the pattern of lethal force is well documented.
Documented patterns include:
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Use of live ammunition against largely unarmed demonstrators.
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Shooting at close range and targeting of upper body and eyes.
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Deployment of heavily armed units in residential areas.
These practices violate the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms, which permit lethal force only as a last resort to protect life.
4. Arbitrary Detention, Enforced Disappearances, and Risk of Torture
Thousands of individuals are believed to have been detained during the protests. Many arrests reportedly occurred without warrants, often during night raids.
Key concerns:
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Arbitrary detention without prompt access to lawyers or family.
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Enforced disappearances, with authorities refusing to disclose detainees’ whereabouts.
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Risk of torture and ill-treatment in detention, especially during interrogation.
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Collective intimidation of families seeking information.
Iran’s obligations under the ICCPR prohibit arbitrary arrest, torture, and denial of fair trial guarantees.
5. Denial of Due Process and Risk of Capital Punishment
Iranian authorities have publicly labeled protesters as “enemies of the state,” a designation that can carry capital charges under Iranian law.
Human rights monitors warn that:
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Expedited or secret trials may be used.
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Confessions may be coerced.
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The death penalty could be applied following unfair proceedings.
Such practices would violate the right to a fair trial and international standards governing capital punishment.
6. Alleged Use of Loyalist Militias
Multiple sources report the involvement of pro-government militias alongside formal security forces, particularly in areas where regular forces may be reluctant to use lethal force.
While individual incidents are difficult to verify independently, the consistent pattern of militia-style operations raises serious concerns about accountability and command responsibility.
States remain responsible for violations committed by auxiliary or irregular forces acting with their consent or acquiescence.
7. Impact on Vulnerable Groups
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Women and minors reportedly face disproportionate risk during arrests and detention.
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Journalists, lawyers, and medical workers are targeted or intimidated for documenting abuses.
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Ethnic and regional minorities may face heightened repression, though full assessment is currently impossible.
8. International Legal Framework
Iran is a party to key international treaties, including:
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International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
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Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
The reported actions—if substantiated—constitute serious violations of these obligations and may amount to crimes under international law, depending on scale and intent.
9. Recommendations
To the Government of Iran
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Immediately restore full internet and communications access.
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Cease unlawful use of lethal force.
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Release all individuals arbitrarily detained.
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Guarantee access to lawyers, families, and independent medical care.
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Allow independent international investigations.
To the International Community
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Demand restoration of connectivity as a human rights priority.
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Support independent documentation and preservation of evidence.
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Apply targeted measures against individuals responsible for grave abuses.
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Ensure protection for Iranian journalists, activists, and diaspora witnesses.
Conclusion
The situation in Iran represents a grave human rights emergency unfolding behind an enforced curtain of silence. While precise casualty figures remain disputed and difficult to verify, the patterns of abuse are clear and consistent: lethal force against civilians, mass arbitrary detention, suppression of information, and denial of basic legal protections.
In such conditions, uncertainty does not absolve responsibility. On the contrary, the absence of information is itself evidence of repression.
Human rights do not disappear when the internet is turned off.
They are violated.
