The toll of the protests, which have entered their 19th day in Iran and Rojhilat Kurdistan, is getting heavier, nearly 3 thousand dead and nearly 20 thousand detained.
ANF
NEWS CENTER
Thursday, January 15, 2026,
The protests against the economic, social and political crises in Iran and Rojhilat, which started on December 28, 2025, continue with the support and participation of millions. The extent of the violence used by the Iranian regime forces to suppress the protests is not known due to the communication blackout in the country.
Due to the interruption in internet and telephone lines, information about the massacres and developments in the country cannot be accessed. Images of regime forces raiding homes to destroy internet providers obtained with limited means are shared on digital networks. In Iran, where TV channels cannot broadcast, official television channels continue their broadcasts as a means of pressure by the regime, aiming to increase the fear of the public by broadcasting images of statements that are not known how they were taken, and calls for the seizure of the assets of the protesters.
PEOPLE DO NOT LEAVE THE STREETS
Despite all the violence and torture used by the Iranian regime against the demonstrators, the people do not leave the streets. It is among the information received that the protests, in which slogans such as 'Death to Khamenei, Death to the dictator, Damn Khamenei' were raised, spread to 31 cities, 187 districts and 617 towns of Iran and Rojhilat Kurdistan.
Women and young people leading the protests are also targeted by Iranian regime forces. The fate of the young people and women detained in the protests supported by 55 universities is unknown.
Amnesty International said in a statement that dozens of images recorded in Alborz, Gilan, Kermanshan, Razavi Khorasan and Sistan-Baluchistan were examined and as a result of the examination, it was determined that Iranian regime forces used lethal force against demonstrators. The organization also said in its statement; He stated that the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian police force FARAJA and plainclothes agents took part in the attacks.
NEARLY 3 THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE BRUTALLY MURDERED
In Iran and Rojhilat Kurdistan, where the bodies could not even be identified for days, there is a lot of different information circulating on digital media networks about the death toll. According to the Human Rights Organization HRANA, 2,615 demonstrators were massacred in 19 days. Of these, 12 are reported to be under the age of 18. However, some sources report that the number of those killed exceeded ten thousand.
Iranian state forces are trying to contain the protests with attacks that directly target the demonstrators. Witnesses in the region say that most of the bodies were shot in the chest. In the footage, it is seen that Iranian state forces shot the demonstrators they were chasing, directly targeting their eyes and heads.
FUNERALS ARE GIVEN TO FAMILIES IN EXCHANGE FOR MONEY
In the broadcasts made on radio channels with limited means, it is reported that Iranian state forces raided hospitals and kidnapped injured demonstrators. It is reported that the demonstrators, who were kidnapped with injuries, were massacred after being detained and the bodies were given to their families in exchange for 700 million riyals. For this reason, protesters injured in the attacks do not apply to hospitals.
HRANA announced that 2,045 demonstrators were injured in the attacks during the demonstrations. However, the number and witnesses that this human rights organization has been able to verify state that this number is much higher.
In the country, where detainees are massacred and their bodies are traded, it is noted that the security forces also called many people to the security centers to testify.
NEWS CENTER
Thursday, January 15, 2026,
The protests against the economic, social and political crises in Iran and Rojhilat, which started on December 28, 2025, continue with the support and participation of millions. The extent of the violence used by the Iranian regime forces to suppress the protests is not known due to the communication blackout in the country.
Due to the interruption in internet and telephone lines, information about the massacres and developments in the country cannot be accessed. Images of regime forces raiding homes to destroy internet providers obtained with limited means are shared on digital networks. In Iran, where TV channels cannot broadcast, official television channels continue their broadcasts as a means of pressure by the regime, aiming to increase the fear of the public by broadcasting images of statements that are not known how they were taken, and calls for the seizure of the assets of the protesters.
PEOPLE DO NOT LEAVE THE STREETS
Despite all the violence and torture used by the Iranian regime against the demonstrators, the people do not leave the streets. It is among the information received that the protests, in which slogans such as 'Death to Khamenei, Death to the dictator, Damn Khamenei' were raised, spread to 31 cities, 187 districts and 617 towns of Iran and Rojhilat Kurdistan.
Women and young people leading the protests are also targeted by Iranian regime forces. The fate of the young people and women detained in the protests supported by 55 universities is unknown.
Amnesty International said in a statement that dozens of images recorded in Alborz, Gilan, Kermanshan, Razavi Khorasan and Sistan-Baluchistan were examined and as a result of the examination, it was determined that Iranian regime forces used lethal force against demonstrators. The organization also said in its statement; He stated that the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian police force FARAJA and plainclothes agents took part in the attacks.
NEARLY 3 THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE BRUTALLY MURDERED
In Iran and Rojhilat Kurdistan, where the bodies could not even be identified for days, there is a lot of different information circulating on digital media networks about the death toll. According to the Human Rights Organization HRANA, 2,615 demonstrators were massacred in 19 days. Of these, 12 are reported to be under the age of 18. However, some sources report that the number of those killed exceeded ten thousand.
Iranian state forces are trying to contain the protests with attacks that directly target the demonstrators. Witnesses in the region say that most of the bodies were shot in the chest. In the footage, it is seen that Iranian state forces shot the demonstrators they were chasing, directly targeting their eyes and heads.
FUNERALS ARE GIVEN TO FAMILIES IN EXCHANGE FOR MONEY
In the broadcasts made on radio channels with limited means, it is reported that Iranian state forces raided hospitals and kidnapped injured demonstrators. It is reported that the demonstrators, who were kidnapped with injuries, were massacred after being detained and the bodies were given to their families in exchange for 700 million riyals. For this reason, protesters injured in the attacks do not apply to hospitals.
HRANA announced that 2,045 demonstrators were injured in the attacks during the demonstrations. However, the number and witnesses that this human rights organization has been able to verify state that this number is much higher.
In the country, where detainees are massacred and their bodies are traded, it is noted that the security forces also called many people to the security centers to testify.
Kurdish refugees in Erbil anxiously await news from families amid Iran unrest
Others reported similar losses.
“Our goods are purchased from five Iranian factories… We currently have six trucks at the border, and we don't even know which border they are at,” said Rizgar Osman, another importer, adding that each truck is worth about $20,000.
At Sulaimani’s main fruit and vegetable market, traders say the blackout has caused chaos.
“At this moment, when communication is cut, a lot of problems have been created for us,” said Atta Mohammed, a member of the Sulaimani Vegetable Market Syndicate. “We do not know the prices of our goods… This is a major obstacle for us.”
Human rights groups say the shutdown is also preventing information from reaching the outside world.
“The Internet is not [available] there… The people of Kurdistan are being killed, and the Islamic Republic is suppressing them in an extremely brutal manner,” said Zhila Mostajer, co-founder of the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, warning that violence is unfolding largely unseen.
Horvan Rafaat and Payam Sarbast contributed to this report from Erbil, and Alla Shally reported from Germany.
January 14, 2026
Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdish refugee family from Iran living in Erbil have said they are anxiously waiting for news from relatives inside the country after communications were severed for several consecutive days. Internet and phone services have been cut, preventing families from contacting loved ones as unrest spreads across Iran.
“I was in contact with my family, my father and mother. I asked about them to see how they are. I [talked] with friends and relatives. It was Wednesday when essential food had run out in Iran. [Cooking] oil and rice also ran out. Nothing remains now,” Bahnam Jamali, a refugee, told Rudaw on Monday.
The prolonged uncertainty has taken a heavy emotional toll on families living in exile.
“We have no rest. We only think about what is happening,” said Glara Mstafawi, Jamali’s wife.
Iran is currently facing its most significant internal security threat in years, marked by a wave of anti-government protests triggered by a historic currency crash that saw the Iranian currency hit a record low of 1.45 million rials to the US dollar.
For those who have already been separated from family members for years, the silence has been especially painful.
“The government is doing a large genocide in Iran. Unfortunately, it has been able to do so quietly. Honestly, we are constantly anxious. I was in contact with two close people in my family. They told me that if they [authorities] see anyone on the streets at night, they shoot at them with war [live] rounds. They do not care if it is a family, a child or a woman,” said Yazdan Farahmand, another Kurd from Iran living in Erbil.
The nationwide protests began on December 28 when merchants shuttered their shops at the Alaeddin Mall in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, but has since spread to at least 156 separate demonstrations across 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that as of Sunday, at least 483 protesters and 47 security personnel had been killed. However, these figures are likely underestimated, especially given the government-imposed internet blockout that has entered its sixth day on Tuesday. Some reports suggest that several thousands of people have been killed.
Meanwhile, the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) reported last week that over 2,000 people had been “arbitrarily arrested,” a figure that has since risen to over 10,000 according to activist aggregates.
Iran’s nationwide internet and communications shutdown is severely disrupting trade, cutting the country off from regional and international markets.
In the past days, authorities have blocked internet and phone services amid ongoing protests, leaving traders unable to work.
Trade between Iran and the Kurdistan Region alone is valued at about $6 billion annually, but commercial activity has now slowed to a near standstill.
Trade in Kurdistan Region paralyzed amid Iran blackout
The internet shutdown is also severely disrupting trade between Iran and the Kurdistan Region, where roughly 30 percent of imported goods originate from Iran.
Kayfi Khoshnaw, spokesperson for the Erbil Exchange Market, said money transfers have nearly collapsed.
“[The rate of our remittances with Iran] has decreased by 90 percent. People do not dare to transfer money to their account numbers [in Iran] because they receive no [reply] or confirmation... You don’t know whether the money has reached your bank account or not,” he said.
Importers say shipments are stalled and untraceable. “We currently have three shipments in Iran, and we have no information on where they have reached or the status of their processing,” said Soran Ali, an importing company owner. “Our shipments were supposed to arrive two to three days ago.”
Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdish refugee family from Iran living in Erbil have said they are anxiously waiting for news from relatives inside the country after communications were severed for several consecutive days. Internet and phone services have been cut, preventing families from contacting loved ones as unrest spreads across Iran.
“I was in contact with my family, my father and mother. I asked about them to see how they are. I [talked] with friends and relatives. It was Wednesday when essential food had run out in Iran. [Cooking] oil and rice also ran out. Nothing remains now,” Bahnam Jamali, a refugee, told Rudaw on Monday.
The prolonged uncertainty has taken a heavy emotional toll on families living in exile.
“We have no rest. We only think about what is happening,” said Glara Mstafawi, Jamali’s wife.
Iran is currently facing its most significant internal security threat in years, marked by a wave of anti-government protests triggered by a historic currency crash that saw the Iranian currency hit a record low of 1.45 million rials to the US dollar.
For those who have already been separated from family members for years, the silence has been especially painful.
“The government is doing a large genocide in Iran. Unfortunately, it has been able to do so quietly. Honestly, we are constantly anxious. I was in contact with two close people in my family. They told me that if they [authorities] see anyone on the streets at night, they shoot at them with war [live] rounds. They do not care if it is a family, a child or a woman,” said Yazdan Farahmand, another Kurd from Iran living in Erbil.
The nationwide protests began on December 28 when merchants shuttered their shops at the Alaeddin Mall in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, but has since spread to at least 156 separate demonstrations across 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that as of Sunday, at least 483 protesters and 47 security personnel had been killed. However, these figures are likely underestimated, especially given the government-imposed internet blockout that has entered its sixth day on Tuesday. Some reports suggest that several thousands of people have been killed.
Meanwhile, the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) reported last week that over 2,000 people had been “arbitrarily arrested,” a figure that has since risen to over 10,000 according to activist aggregates.
Iran’s nationwide internet and communications shutdown is severely disrupting trade, cutting the country off from regional and international markets.
In the past days, authorities have blocked internet and phone services amid ongoing protests, leaving traders unable to work.
Trade between Iran and the Kurdistan Region alone is valued at about $6 billion annually, but commercial activity has now slowed to a near standstill.
Trade in Kurdistan Region paralyzed amid Iran blackout
The internet shutdown is also severely disrupting trade between Iran and the Kurdistan Region, where roughly 30 percent of imported goods originate from Iran.
Kayfi Khoshnaw, spokesperson for the Erbil Exchange Market, said money transfers have nearly collapsed.
“[The rate of our remittances with Iran] has decreased by 90 percent. People do not dare to transfer money to their account numbers [in Iran] because they receive no [reply] or confirmation... You don’t know whether the money has reached your bank account or not,” he said.
Importers say shipments are stalled and untraceable. “We currently have three shipments in Iran, and we have no information on where they have reached or the status of their processing,” said Soran Ali, an importing company owner. “Our shipments were supposed to arrive two to three days ago.”
Others reported similar losses.
“Our goods are purchased from five Iranian factories… We currently have six trucks at the border, and we don't even know which border they are at,” said Rizgar Osman, another importer, adding that each truck is worth about $20,000.
At Sulaimani’s main fruit and vegetable market, traders say the blackout has caused chaos.
“At this moment, when communication is cut, a lot of problems have been created for us,” said Atta Mohammed, a member of the Sulaimani Vegetable Market Syndicate. “We do not know the prices of our goods… This is a major obstacle for us.”
Human rights groups say the shutdown is also preventing information from reaching the outside world.
“The Internet is not [available] there… The people of Kurdistan are being killed, and the Islamic Republic is suppressing them in an extremely brutal manner,” said Zhila Mostajer, co-founder of the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, warning that violence is unfolding largely unseen.
Horvan Rafaat and Payam Sarbast contributed to this report from Erbil, and Alla Shally reported from Germany.
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