Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Iranian authorities of conducting a brutal campaign to instill fear among civilians through mass arbitrary detentions, torture, and enforced disappearances following the killings of protesters and bystanders by security forces on January 8 and 9. The protests, which began on December 28, 2025, in Tehran due to economic issues, escalated into a nationwide movement. HRW has presented evidence implicating senior officials and security agencies in orchestrating a coordinated crackdown to suppress dissent and hide their actions.
The HRW report highlights that Iranian authorities have not only made mass arrests but also held detainees incommunicado, including in unofficial facilities. Coerced “confessions,” even from children, have been broadcast, and large-scale enforced disappearances have been reported. Severe restrictions akin to martial law have been imposed in various Iranian cities. Bahar Saba, a senior Iran researcher at HRW, emphasized the need for international monitors to have unrestricted access to detention facilities and prisons to ensure the safety of detainees.
Amid growing concerns of death sentences and secret executions, HRW expressed alarm over the surge in executions in Iran and the labeling of protesters as “criminals” and mohareb, punishable by death. The organization urged the United Nations to intervene by demanding the immediate release of arbitrarily detained individuals, revealing the whereabouts of disappeared persons, halting planned executions, and allowing independent international bodies access to investigate the situation in Iran. HRW also called for other countries to pursue criminal investigations into international crimes committed by Iranian authorities.
