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A witness in Shahroud told Iran International that on 18 Dey, protesters had taken control of many main streets, but security forces began a violent crackdown and allegedly targeted people with live ammunition and pellet guns.
A witness in Karaj told Iran International that on the night of 19 Dey, after the sound of machine-gun fire was heard in the Azadegan neighborhood, electricity in parts of the area was cut for several hours. The witness described what they called “unusual behavior” by Islamic Republic security forces on the scene, alleging they saw special unit personnel smoking an unidentified substance and passing it among themselves.
Vincent Ho, a Canadian Conservative Party member of parliament, told Iran International in an exclusive interview that individuals linked to the Islamic Republic and the IRGC should be identified and expelled from Canada as part of efforts to counter Tehran’s interference.
A group of lawyers said they have been denied the right to represent detained protesters, claiming their repeated requests to take on cases have been rejected through official channels. They added that two detainees they sought to represent have already been sentenced to death, and that they have received alarming reports suggesting some protesters have been executed. Separately, the U.S. State Department’s Persian-language account said the Islamic Republic’s response to Iranians’ demands for a better life—since 1979—has been “repression and violence,” not reform or dialogue.
Ardeshir Zarehzadeh, a lawyer and human-rights activist, said he has learned that death sentences have been issued for “hundreds” of people among the thousands detained in Iran. Citing the experience of the 1980s, he warned that such verdicts could be carried out in a short period of time.
A group of students at the University of Tehran’s Faculty of Fine Arts said they will boycott upcoming exams, citing اعتراض to what they described as the killing of thousands of protesters in Dey 1404. In a statement, they framed the boycott as a “conscious and responsible” response to what they called an organized effort to normalize violence and erase it from public memory, stressing the move is not symbolic or emotional but a clear line between “continuing normalcy” and “standing against repression.” The students also urged others in the Faculty of Fine Arts to join, saying collective participation is needed to prevent the normalization of what they called a “tragedy.”
Iranians living in Sydney, Australia, gathered on Sunday, January 25, 2026 (5 Bahman 1404), voicing support for Iran’s national uprising and Prince Reza Pahlavi , and calling on the international community to take practical and urgent steps to confront what they described as the government’s killing of people in Iran.
Israel Hayom reported that the Israeli government delivered information to Washington on alleged mass executions of protesters in Iran, contradicting assurances Trump said he had received from Islamic Republic officials. Trump had previously claimed he delayed a strike on Iran in part because the execution of more than 800 detained protesters had been canceled, a claim Iranian authorities denied. According to the report, intelligence available to the U.S. contains what it describes as conclusive evidence of protesters being executed through multiple methods, with Israel involved in obtaining the information; it also includes details on direct shootings of protesters in the streets and alleged executions after detainees were taken into custody.
Arshia Barari, a fitness champion and Kyokushin karate athlete, was killed on Thursday, 18 Dey 1404, during protests in Zanjan after being shot directly by Islamic Republic security forces, according to the report. The details say Barari—also an international trainer for guard dogs—was hit in the kidney and later died, while his wounded body was allegedly left on the street for hours after the shooting. The report adds that amid a full internet shutdown imposed to censor what it describes as a major contemporary massacre following an order by Ali Khamenei, state narratives have previously been circulated about the killing of Hassan Qasemi, a karate champion and referee in Isfahan province.
Daryoush Yazdani, a former Esteghlal player and Iran national team footballer, wrote on Instagram in support of Iran’s national uprising, reacting to what he described as an unprecedented killing of people by the Islamic Republic. He said that, in the view of the Iranian people, the Islamic government “must step aside,” and that the public demand is the return of Prince Reza Pahlavi as “a symbol of a different future.” Yazdani added that no government has the right to use its people’s blood as a tool of survival, describing streets filled not with celebration but with the voices of grieving mothers, and argued that spilled blood “doesn’t silence or frighten,” but exposes the truth—insisting protest continues because life is a right and the “unjustified death” of compatriots is a red line.
Abolfazl Mehri, a taekwondo athlete and holder of a 2nd dan black belt, was killed on Thursday night, 18 Dey 1404, during protests at the Mesbah Square junction in Karaj, after being shot directly by security forces, according to the report. It adds that Mehri—who had previously lost both parents and had only one sister—was taken home by friends after being hit by a bullet, but later died from his injuries. The report also says Iran’s authorities have imposed a complete internet shutdown to censor what it describes as a major contemporary killing spree following an order by Ali Khamenei, and that state narratives have so far been circulated regarding the deaths of taekwondo community members Shayan Shekari, Amir Mohammad Karmi, and Afshin Miyarkiani.
Bahar Shadmehri, a 17-year-old from Nishapur, was killed at dusk on 19 Dey after being shot directly by security forces, according to the report.