Death toll approaches 7,000; student protests continue

Protests that began on December 28 in Iran continue sporadically. HRANA shared data regarding the 38th day of the demonstrations. According to the latest figures shared yesterday, the total death toll confirmed by HRANA has reached 6,872. According to these figures, 6,443 of those killed were protesters, and 156 were children under the age of 18. Additionally, 214 members of government-linked forces and 59 individuals classified as non-protesting civilians lost their lives. Furthermore, 11,280 cases are under investigation. A total of 673 protest-related incidents were documented in 210cities across 31 provinces.

While student protests continue, the ongoing arrests and interventions by security forces in various cities, persistent disruptions and instability in internet access and communication, and the acceleration of lawsuits against protesters remain among the primary human rights violations in the country.

Reports indicate that student gatherings have continued in recent days. News has emerged of gatherings and events involving students in Tabriz, Mashhad, and Shiraz. Alongside these meetings, security pressure in university environments continues. The arrest of students remains one of the main focal points of the reports. According to cumulative statistics for the 38th day, 109 cases of student arrests were recorded. Recent examples of student arrests in Iran include four students named Somayeh Heidari, Ali Ebrahimi, Sahand Taheri, and Amirhossein Mohammadi, who were reported arrested in Tabriz. Furthermore, another report was published regarding the arrest of Ahmadreza Afshari-Nejad, a senior student at Tabriz Islamic Arts University; it is reported that he is being held in Tabriz Prison following his arrest.

Internet access block persists

Despite official statements claiming that internet access has been restored after weeks of outages and widespread restrictions, field reports indicate that user access is inconsistent. According to published information, filtered messaging applications remain stuck in "updating" status, VPNs work for only a few minutes before shutting down without warning, and users report differing experiences even within the same fixed location and on a single mobile operator. The widespread description is that the internet has neither returned to normal nor been completely cut off; rather, it is in a "frayed" and unstable state.

Technically, this situation is attributed to a change in the filtering model that relies less on nationwide shutdowns or direct IP blocking and instead focuses more on identifying traffic patterns and protocol types.

Accelerated Trials

Chief Justice Mohammad Jafar Montazeri announced that the cases of those arrested during the protests will be examined in an accelerated manner due to their "sensitivity and national nature" and will be decided in accordance with the full text of the law. Similar statements from other judicial officials emphasizing accelerated trials and the imposition of heavy sentences have, according to observers, increased concerns regarding compliance with fair trial standards.

Iranian Judiciary Spokesman Ali-Asghar Jahangir referred to the case of businessman and entrepreneur Muhammed Saedi-Nia, stating that a detention warrant was issued for him due to his "official support for the protesters" and an order was given to confiscate his assets. In the education sector, the Ministry of Education spokesperson announced that all students arrested during the protests have been released, though they also stated they did not have information regarding the exact number. Furthermore, without providing specific figures, they reported that a number of students and teachers had lost their lives.

The 38-Day Toll

• Total number of recorded protest events: 673

• Number of cities (excluding repeats): 210

• Number of provinces (excluding repeats): 31

• Injured civilians: 11,021

• Total number of arrests: 50,553

• Student arrests: 109

• Forced confessions: 307

• Number of subpoenas: 11,046

• Total number of protesters killed: 6,443

  • Including children: 156

  • Military/government-linked forces: 214

  • Non-protesting civilians: 59

• Total death toll: 6,872

• Number of cases under investigation: 11,280

Source: Report by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)