Human Rights Watch: Widespread Killing of Iranian Protesters After January 8; Thousands Have Been Killed

Human Rights Watch announced that the repressive forces of the Islamic Republic have engaged in unprecedented widespread killings of protesters and citizens following the intensification of nationwide protests and the expansion of the national uprising on January 8, 2026. According to this organization, thousands of protesters and bystanders have been killed across Iran, but severe communication and internet blackouts have hindered the clarity of the true extent of these crimes. Based on findings from Human Rights Watch, government forces have systematically intensified deadly repression after January 8, using live ammunition against unarmed protesters in many provinces. Evidence shows that a large number of victims were killed or injured by gunfire to the head and upper body. Government officials quoted by the media have implicitly acknowledged that the death toll has reached several thousand. Lama Faqih, the program director of Human Rights Watch, described these events as 'the mass killing of protesters since January 8 is unprecedented and once again shows that rulers who massacre their people will continue to commit crimes until they are held accountable.' She called for an immediate special session of the UN Human Rights Council to focus on accountability and human rights violations in Iran. Field evidence and shocking statistics Human Rights Watch conducted interviews between January 22 and 24 with 21 eyewitnesses, relatives of victims, journalists, human rights defenders, and medical staff, reviewing dozens of images, videos, audio messages, and testimonies. They also analyzed 51 verified photos and videos from various locations in Iran and consulted independent forensic experts about them. Despite severe communication restrictions, this organization has been able to document evidence of the killing of protesters in provinces including Tehran, Alborz, Kermanshah, Razavi Khorasan, Gilan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Markazi, and Mazandaran. One witness stated, 'These days, everyone you see has lost a relative who has been killed or injured.' In Tehran; Hundreds of Bodies in Kahrizak Verified videos show a completely militarized atmosphere and extensive use of firearms. Images released from the Kahrizak forensic center (in southern Tehran) between January 21 and 23 show at least 400 bodies or body bags; a figure that Human Rights Watch claims is less than the reality, as the bodies were stacked on top of each other. Witnesses have reported thousands of bodies in the large halls of Behesht Zahra. Reports indicate that all bodies were in civilian clothing, and many had bullet wounds, metal pellet injuries, or open wounds. Some still had medical equipment such as cardiac pads or respiratory tubes. Reports from Gilan indicate dozens were killed during protests in small towns in the province, including around Fuman. One local source said his father knew 15 to 20 of the deceased in just one small town in Gilan. Additionally, a medical source who provided information to Human Rights Watch reported that security forces shot a large number of citizens in Rasht, the provincial capital of Gilan. In Mazandaran, witnesses reported a heavy presence of security forces and continuous gunfire on the evening of January 8 in Amol. Other reports also indicate the deadly response of repressive forces to protests in Amol, Sari, and Babol; one witness stated, 'Many people were killed in Amol, but the news has not leaked out.' In Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, testimonies indicate that government forces fired at protesters using heavy machine guns, shotguns, and military weapons. One witness reported seeing at least 25 bodies in the courtyard of the governor's office in Yasuj on January 20, and many injured had suffered eye injuries from metal pellets. In Markazi province, repressive forces suppressed protests in neighborhoods on January 8 with tear gas and shotguns. One witness reported seeing several injured, including a teenager under 18 with pellet wounds to the face, stating that two people were killed that night; one was a 15 or 16-year-old who was shot while climbing a wall of the intelligence building, and the other was a man who died from a gunshot to the head. In Kermanshah, witnesses described a 'war zone with continuous gunfire.' Reports indicate that nearly 300 people without vital signs were admitted to just one hospital in the city in one day. In Mashhad, reports indicate the transfer of dozens to hundreds of bodies to hospitals, with one medical source reporting about 150 bodies arriving at just one hospital within a few hours. Pressure on Families and Concealment Human Rights Watch reported that officials have attempted to conceal the scale of the killings by withholding bodies, conducting forced and secret burials, preventing funeral ceremonies, and pressuring families. In some cases, families have been forced to claim their loved ones were members of the Basij or pay heavy costs for body retrieval. The organization emphasized that the widespread and deadly use of firearms against unarmed protesters constitutes a clear violation of UN principles regarding the use of force and firearms and represents the illegal and deliberate use of lethal force as a state policy. Furthermore, the organization stated that internet blackouts and severe media restrictions constitute a blatant violation of freedom of expression and must end immediately. Urgent International Action Human Rights Watch urged UN member states to convene a special session of the Human Rights Council immediately and to request the UN's independent fact-finding mission on Iran to conduct a special investigation into these events and preserve evidence for the prosecution of those responsible at the highest levels. Lama Faqih stated, 'Images of families searching among hundreds of body bags for their loved ones should shake the conscience of the world so that the perpetrators of these crimes, including at the highest levels, are held accountable.'