Senior Iranian cleric denounces killing of protesters

Iranian Sunni religious leader Abdol-Hamid has strongly condemned the killing of protesters in Tehran and other cities, describing the crackdown as an unprecedented and devastating tragedy.

The Friday prayer leader said in a statement posted on X that the deaths of thousands of protesters over the course of several days amounted to a horrific catastrophe. He said the events had plunged the Iranian nation into grief and anger and had deeply shocked the conscience of people around the world, Caliber.Az reports. 

کشتار هزاران معترض در تهران و دیگر شهرهای کشورمان طی چند روز، فاجعه‌ای هولناک و بی‌سابقه بود.
این رویداد تلخ، ملت ایران را در اندوه و خشم فرو برده و وجدان انسان‌های آزاده‌ی جهان را عمیقاً جریحه‌دار کرده است.
بی‌تردید آمران و عاملان این جنایت، در این دنیا مسئول بوده و در آخرت نیز…

— شیخ الاسلام مولانا عبدالحمید (@AbdolhamidNet) January 13, 2026

“Undoubtedly, those who ordered and carried out this crime will be held accountable in this world, and in the hereafter, they will also deserve divine punishment,” he wrote.

Protests have spread across the country since December 28, 2025.

According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, about 2,000 people have been killed and more than 16,000 detained in the crackdown so far, although other sources suggest the real toll could be higher. Iran International, the opposition television network, reported on January 13 that its information points to roughly 12,000 deaths. A Washington-based source with contacts inside Iran told CBS News that a credible informant placed the toll between 10,000 and 12,000.

By Sabina Mammadli