Iranian human rights groups warn that executions are being prepared, and the regime admits to 2,000 deaths.
Amid the internet blackout, it is difficult to verify the number of victims, which some sources put at over 10,000.
BeirutThe shadow of the death penalty has loomed over Iran in a crisis that continues to escalate. Warnings of imminent executions of detained protesters have added a dimension of alarm that goes beyond everyday physical violence, as the judicial system is used to punish and deter those who oppose the regime. Human rights organizations have warned that Many of those arrested in the massive demonstrations across the country could face the death penalty without the minimum guarantees of a fair trial. in a context where the crime of moharebThe term "enemy of God" has been broadly applied to anyone who challenges the authorities.
The IranWire website explains that Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old man detained since January 8, has been sentenced to death, according to his family, who were able to visit him in prison on Sunday to say goodbye before his execution, scheduled for Wednesday. They claim there is no formal indictment and that he has not had access to a lawyer, while also being pressured by the regime not to report it.
An Iranian official has admitted that around 2,000 people have died during the protests, including civilians and members of the security forces, and has attributed these deaths to "terrorists," without providing verifiable details about their identity or context. This figure, the highest acknowledged so far by an official source, adds to the estimates of human rights groups that had previously documented hundreds of deaths and more than 10,600 arrests. For its part, the editorial board of Iran International maintains that at least 12,000 people may have been killed during the crackdown on the protests, which they have described as the largest massacre in Iran's contemporary history, concentrated mainly during two particularly violent nights on January 8 and 9. This estimate is based on information obtained from sources close to the Supreme National Security Council, the president's office, members of the Revolutionary Guard in cities such as Mashhad, Kermanshah, and Isfahan, as well as from witnesses, relatives of victims, doctors, nurses, and field reports in various cities. The disparity between these figures reflects the enormous opacity surrounding the crisis, exacerbated by a near-total digital blackout.
Broken Lives
Beyond the statistics, the shattered lives tell the stories of young people, workers, and parents. In the town of Kuhdasht, 22-year-old Hessam Khodayarifard was shot dead on New Year's Eve; his family has rejected the official version that attempted to portray him as a militia member. In the city of Azna, 28-year-old barber Shayan Asadollahi was fatally shot as he returned home from a protest. Seventeen-year-old Reza Moradi, who worked as an apprentice to help support his family, was also killed there. In Lordegan, 20-year-old Sajjad Valamanesh, who had no political affiliation, was killed during a demonstration, and his family has faced subsequent pressure from the authorities. In Tehran, 55-year-old Ali Dehghan-Joghan, a relative of a well-known human rights lawyer, was shot in the head and killed, leaving behind two daughters.
The digital blackout imposed since January 8 has intensified the opacity. Access to the internet, independent media, and messaging platforms has been almost completely cut off, leaving millions of Iranians isolated and hindering the documentation of abuses and communication from firsthand witnesses. Even in cities like Isfahan, striking truckers and shopkeepers have been attacked by security forces, with at least two killed during a strike that continued despite gunfire. The violence has reached diverse sectors of society: young people, students, workers, and the Luri and Bakhtiari ethnic minorities; everyone has been affected indiscriminately.
Exemplary condemnations
The use of the judicial system as an instrument of repression has become a tool that has facilitated exemplary sentences. In these trials, effective legal defense has been virtually nonexistent, and international standards of justice have not been respected. Each execution has not only punished individuals but has also served as a warning to the entire population: defying the ayatollahs can cost you your life.
The international community has expressed growing concern. Human rights organizations and foreign governments have condemned the excessive use of force, the blackout of communications, and the judicial threats. They have demanded the full restoration of communications and free access for international observers, demands that Iranian authorities have thus far ignored, demonstrating that popular protests are being criminalized at a devastating human cost.
In Iran, the possibility of the state applying capital punishment against protesters has opened a new phase of repression, which could redefine the relationship between the government and society. The impending executions have served as warnings to the entire population, but we must not forget that thousands of Iranians have already lost their lives simply for demonstrating, raising their voices in the streets for economic, social, and political reasons. The cost of this crisis cannot be measured solely in numbers, but rather in the ability to express oneself or protest without risking one's life.
