More than forty days have passed since the Iranian authorities violently suppressed the January protests, a crackdown that, according to multiple credible reports, resulted in the killing of thousands of protesters and the arrest of tens of thousands more. Although visible street demonstrations have diminished, the repression has not subsided. Rather, it has entered a new phase, marked by accelerated prosecutions, severe prison conditions, and sustained pressure on families and civil society.
Across the country, Revolutionary Courts are conducting protest-related trials at an alarming speed. Numerous defendants are facing grave charges, including offenses that carry the death penalty. At least two protesters — Saleh Mohammadi and Mohammad Amin Biglari — have reportedly received preliminary death sentences. These proceedings are taking place amid serious and well-documented violations of due process, raising urgent concerns about the risk of further executions following fundamentally unfair trials.
On February 11, the Publicity Office of the Qom Seminary briefly published a statistical report concerning 11,252 arrested protesters; the report was removed from its website shortly thereafter. According to the published data, 27 percent of those arrested were under the age of 18, 17 percent were students, and 12 percent were women. The inclusion of minors and students among those detained underscores the breadth of the crackdown and its impact on vulnerable populations. The swift removal of the report further highlights the sensitivity surrounding the scale and demographics of the arrests.
Conditions inside detention facilities are reported to be increasingly dire. Multiple sources indicate severe overcrowding in prisons holding protest detainees. In the women’s political ward of Evin Prison, approximately 100 detainees are currently being held, the majority of whom were arrested in connection with the recent protests. Reports from Yazd Women’s Prison describe inadequate detention conditions, including deprivation of basic hygiene facilities and essential welfare provisions. In Hamadan Women’s Prison, a significant number of women arrested during the protests remain detained, some facing serious charges that may carry lengthy prison sentences.
Serious violations of fair trial rights are also being widely reported. According to human rights lawyers inside Iran, detainees are routinely denied access to legal counsel during the interrogation and investigative phases. In many instances, even at trial, judges obstruct defendants’ access to independent legal representation. Such practices contravene Iran’s obligations under international human rights law, including the right to due process, the right to defense, and protection against arbitrary detention. These violations occur in parallel with broader pressure on independent and human rights lawyers, a pattern of systematic repression documented in a recent Femena report.
Repression has also extended beyond detention centers and courtrooms. As families mark the fortieth day memorials for loved ones killed during the protests, a significant observance in Iranian mourning traditions, security forces have reportedly pressured some families to cancel commemorative gatherings. Several families have publicly announced the cancellation of memorial ceremonies due to “security considerations,” reflecting ongoing intimidation and interference with the right to peaceful assembly and the right to mourn.
In addition, there are credible reports of business closures, including cafés and restaurants, as well as the suspension or forced closure of social media accounts belonging to individuals who expressed solidarity with protesters. Following the mass arrests and the reported killing of more than 7,000 protesters, according to the latest figures from HRANA, the authorities appear to be systematically identifying and targeting those who demonstrated support for the protest movement in any form.
Since the outset of the protests, Femena has sought to document and amplify the cases of women detained in connection with the demonstrations. A first report profiled twenty detained women; the present report highlights twenty additional women arrested during the crackdown. Femena is also compiling a comprehensive list of women detained in the context of the protests, which will be published in the coming weeks.
Taken together, developments over the past forty days demonstrate that the state’s response has evolved rather than diminished. The repression has shifted from the streets to the courts, prisons, and private spheres of life, characterized by expedited trials, death sentences, denial of legal representation, intimidation of bereaved families, and retaliation against those expressing solidarity. These patterns point to ongoing, systemic violations of fundamental human rights.
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