The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran expressed alarm over credible reports that Iranian security forces had been ordered to carry out a “decisive” crackdown on protesters without restraint, as demonstrations entered their third week. On the evening of 8 January, internet and mobile connectivity were shut down, severely limiting access to information as the protests, which began on 28 December following the sudden collapse of Iran’s national currency, spread to at least 46 cities across the country.
By 7 January, more than 40 people, including at least five children, were reportedly killed in provinces such as Qom, Yasuj, Kermanshah, Ilam, and Lorestan. Iran’s parliament also confirmed fatalities among security personnel. The Mission stressed that Iranian women, men, and children have the right to live safely with dignity and to peacefully protest without facing violence, intimidation, or repression from the State. It also noted that unilateral military interventions by third states violate international law.
The Fact-Finding Mission called on Iranian authorities to respect the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression and to release all individuals arbitrarily detained for exercising these rights. It is reviewing video footage and photographs showing security forces firing on protesters, as well as images of buildings and vehicles set ablaze in public areas.
Particular concern was raised over the use of force in ethnic minority regions, where reports indicate especially brutal responses. In one incident in Ilam, security forces allegedly raided a hospital, deploying tear gas and assaulting patients and medical personnel. The Mission observed that the current crackdown mirrors patterns seen during the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, which followed the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini and were marked by serious human rights violations and systemic impunity.
Established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022, the Fact-Finding Mission is mandated to investigate alleged human rights abuses in Iran linked to protests, particularly those affecting women and children. Its mandate was extended in April 2025 for an additional year to examine ongoing allegations of serious human rights violations.
