Politics Activists verify almost 4,000 dead in Iran protests
According to activists, almost 4,000 people have died in the mass protests in Iran. The US-based human rights network HRANA has so far verified 3,919 deaths.
19.01.2026, 10:17
19.01.2026, 10:18
SDA
This is according to a report by the activists. A further 9,000 deaths are still being investigated. In addition to 3,685 demonstrators killed, 178 security forces have also lost their lives.
Meanwhile, the Internet in Iran remains blocked for the eleventh day in a row. Further images and videos showing the full extent of the brutal suppression of the mass protests on January 8 and 9 are only slowly leaking out. A widely shared video on social media shows demonstrators screaming and fleeing in a busy part of the capital Tehran as state repressive forces open fire on the crowd.
The actual number of protesters killed could reportedly be much higher. According to the British newspaper "The Sunday Times", between 16,500 and 18,000 people are said to have been killed. Staff at eight major eye clinics and 16 emergency rooms in the country had compiled the figures.
Activists: more than 24,000 people arrested
While the protests have currently fallen silent, the security authorities are reporting arrests of suspected "protest leaders". In the central desert province of Jasd, the Iranian news agency Tasnim, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, reported the arrest of "leaders and terrorist actors of the unrest".
More than 24,000 people have been arrested as part of the current wave of protests, HRANA reported. The Critical Threats Project (CTP) also reported on a large-scale arrest campaign. The state is continuing its repression "and even intensifying it in order to prevent any protest activities", the analysis said.
Hacker attack on Iranian state television on Sunday?
Satellite signals from Iranian state television were reportedly briefly interrupted by a hacking attack. Videos on social networks on Sunday evening showed disruptions and protest messages in the ongoing program. Iranian media close to the government denied a hacker attack. It was merely a technical malfunction that was falsely portrayed as a hack by "some hostile media", Tasnim reported.
