Iran’s Brutal Suppression of Popular Protests Condemned by Women Journalists Without Chains

Women Journalists Without Chains issues its strongest condemnation of the Iranian authorities’ escalating campaign of repression against peaceful demonstrators and civil society actors,

 which intensified dangerously between December 28, 2025 and January 4, 2026, amid nationwide protests in more than forty cities triggered by the historic collapse of Iran’s currency and the severe deterioration of living conditions.

Based on the organization’s field documentation and verified sources, security force actions during this period resulted in the deaths of at least sixteen civilians, including women and minors, as well as one member of the security services, in the cities of Kuhdasht, Azna, and Lordegan. Authorities have conducted mass arrests exceeding 580 individuals, the majority of them adolescents, while credible reports indicate that the true figure is considerably higher.

On January 4, Iranian security agencies carried out a coordinated campaign of arbitrary arrests in Sanandaj, detaining ten civil activists and former political prisoners — among them Keyvan Zand Karimi, Shaho Mohammadi, Bayan Farajollahi, and Delir Eskandari — in a clear effort to intimidate independent voices and obstruct the flow of information. The organization has further documented the detention of students at Tehran University, including Mobin Aminian and Shahin Shokouhi, and the direct targeting of journalists attempting to cover the protests in the capital.

The deliberate use of lethal force and live ammunition against peaceful assemblies constitutes a grave violation of the right to life under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is legally bound. The sweeping arrest campaigns and systematic restrictions on internet access further violate Articles 19 and 21, guaranteeing freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

This crackdown unfolds within an exceptionally severe human rights context. In 2025 alone, Iranian authorities carried out more than 2,200 executions, underscoring the regime’s continued reliance on capital punishment as an instrument of political control aimed at silencing dissent and terrorizing human rights defenders, journalists, and women’s rights activists.

Women Journalists Without Chains calls on the Iranian authorities to:

•                    Immediately cease the use of excessive and lethal force against peaceful demonstrators;

•                    Withdraw security and military forces from civilian areas;

•                    Unconditionally release all individuals detained in connection with the recent protests, including journalists, civil activists, and university students;

•                    End the persecution of women human rights defenders and nullify all politically motivated judgments issued against them;

•                    Initiate an independent, transparent investigation, with international oversight, into the killings of the past week to ensure accountability and prevent impunity.

The organization further urges the international community to act in accordance with its legal and moral responsibilities. Continued silence or inaction in the face of these abuses will only entrench the crisis, deepen the suffering of the Iranian people, and embolden further violations.

Released by:

Women Journalists Without Chains

January 2026