Iran Protests: Brutal Crackdown, Forced Nudity, Unknown Injections and Rising Death Toll

Iran's nationwide protests sparked by economic hardship, have grown into open challenges to the government. Authorities imposed an internet blackout and launched a violent crackdown, with rights groups reporting over 4,000 deaths and 26,000 arrests.

Escalation of Nationwide Protests and Harsh Repression

What began in late December 2025 as widespread demonstrations over economic hardship and political frustration has escalated into one of the deadliest waves of unrest in Iran’s modern history.

Initially triggered by spiralling inflation, food shortages and discontent with the clerical establishment, the protests have rapidly transformed into direct challenges against the leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Chants calling for political change, including anti-clerical slogans, have spread across cities, towns and rural areas, reflecting deep public anger.

According to accounts emerging from smuggled phone messages, fragmented internet communications and satellite links, the Iranian government’s response has been both brutal and systematic. Security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have been deployed nationwide following the protests’ expansion beyond Tehran. Authorities have enforced a near-total internet blackout aimed at isolating activists and blocking independent information out of the country.

The government’s strategy appears focused on crushing dissent through force, intimidation and censorship. State deployment of riot police, militia and armed units in urban and rural centers has led to violent confrontations in over 300 locations, described by witnesses as scenes of overwhelming state violence.

Allegations of Abuse, Forced Humiliation and Secretive Detentions

Emerging reports from human rights monitors and smuggled accounts from within Iran paint a chilling picture of detainee abuse and mistreatment. According to testimonies shared via underground channels, detainees — including young protesters — have been subjected to degrading practices after arrest. These include being stripped naked in freezing conditions in prison courtyards, often exposed to cold water spray by officers as a form of humiliation or punishment.

Worse still, numerous detainees report receiving injections with unidentified substances while in custody, raising fears about forced medical procedures, drugging or other unexplained health interventions. Family members of prisoners have cited these clandestine injections with fear and confusion, and international rights observers are demanding transparency and independent investigation.

Footage and audio clips that have managed to bypass state surveillance show the scale of state repression: bodies wrapped in black bags, relatives searching morgues for missing loved ones, and charred public spaces cleaned with municipal water trucks. In some communities, witnesses describe streets “filled with the smell of blood,” illustrating the grim reality faced by civilians in the protest zones.

Death Toll, Arrests and International Responses

Reliable figures on casualties remain hard to confirm due to the internet blackout and tight state control over official information. However, independent activist networks such as the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) report that the death toll from the protests has climbed above 4,000, with more than 26,000 arrests and thousands of injuries. These figures include peaceful demonstrators, bystanders and minors.

Other reports, including those cited by international news outlets, suggest that the actual number of fatalities — including those unverified due to restricted access — may be significantly higher. Some witness accounts and rights group estimates have hinted at a potential toll extending into the tens of thousands, but these figures cannot be independently verified.

Amid the brutality, the Iranian regime has continued to justify its actions by labelling protesters as “mohareb” — those who wage war against God — a charge that carries the death penalty under Iranian law and has prompted fears of mass executions. Officials have also placed blame on foreign actors, alleging involvement by external adversaries to stoke unrest.

International condemnation is growing. Iran’s response has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups, global institutions and foreign governments. Some diplomatic engagements, such as invitations to global forums, have been withdrawn or cancelled in protest against the crackdown. Human rights advocates continue to call for an immediate end to violence, the restoration of communications, and accountability for abuses.