Since January 8, 2026, Iranian authorities have escalated a deadly crackdown on protesters, with credible reports indicating large-scale killings carried out across the country. In response, the government imposed a nationwide internet blackout, severely restricting communications and making it extremely difficult to verify reports of unlawful killings and other human rights violations. Despite these restrictions, civil society organizations and media sources report that the death toll has reached the thousands. Human Rights Watch is actively documenting emerging evidence through verified video footage from morgues and hospitals, as well as witness testimonies.
The ongoing internet shutdown has not only hindered independent reporting but also obstructed international scrutiny and the collection of evidence necessary for future accountability. Human Rights Watch emphasizes that the climate of systemic impunity in Iran has allowed security forces to commit crimes under international law—including murder, torture, rape, and enforced disappearances—to suppress dissent. This pattern underscores the urgent need for international intervention and rigorous monitoring.
Human Rights Watch calls on United Nations member states to demand an immediate halt to the violence, ensure unrestricted access for the UN-mandated Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, and restore global internet connectivity. Executive Director Philippe Bolopion warned that detainees face grave risks of secret executions under charges of being “enemies of God,” punishable by death, and stressed that the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council must urgently respond to the escalating atrocities to signal that Iranian officials and security forces will ultimately be held accountable.
