Human Rights Watch urges action from UN Security Council over killings in Iran

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Executive Director Philippe Bolopion has warned of an emergency situation in Iran, stating that the authorities have imposed an almost complete internet blackout to hide “very disturbing reports of mass killings of protesters by security forces.”

“We are also extremely worried for people who have been detained in the last week. They are being accused by the authorities of being ‘enemies of God’, which in Iran carries the death penalty,” Caliber.Az quotes Bolopion as saying in a video address shared by HRW on X.

“So, we think it is really an emergency situation and we call on the UN Security Council and the Human Rights Council to urgently discuss the situation and send a very strong to the leadership in Iran that they will be held accountable,” he added.

This statement comes amid the ongoing protests in the Islamic Republi, which erupted on December 28, 2025, initially sparked by severe economic hardship — including skyrocketing inflation, a collapsing rial currency, energy shortages, and widespread corruption. The demonstrations quickly escalated into nationwide calls for regime change, spreading to all 31 provinces and drawing millions into the streets with anti-government slogans.

On January 8, 2026, authorities implemented a sweeping internet and telecommunications blackout — now exceeding 100 hours in some reports.

On January 12, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) was reporting on over 540 deaths in the protests, but the internet blockage suggests that the number may be significantly higher. It added that more than 10,681 individuals were transferred to prisons following arrest. Protests have taken place at 585 locations across the country, in 186 cities, spanning all 31 provinces. 

By Khagan Isayev