Fact-finding mission urges Iran to end protest violence and restore internet

In a news release issued on Saturday, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said it was alarmed by credible reports that security forces had been ordered to carry out a “decisive” crackdown without restraint, as demonstrations entered a third week.

Internet and mobile connectivity were shut down on the evening of 8 January, severely restricting access to information as violence escalated. The protests began on 28 December following the sudden collapse of Iran’s national currency and have since spread to at least 46 cities across the country.

As of 7 January, more than 40 people – including at least five children – were reportedly killed in several provinces, including Qom, Yasuj, Kermanshah, Ilam and Lorestan. Iran’s parliament has also reported fatalities among members of the security forces.

Respect fundamental human rights

“The Fact-Finding Mission reiterates that Iranian women, men, and children deserve to live safely, with dignity, and with full respect for their rights, including the right to peacefully protest, and to do so without oppressive violence, intimidation or repression by the State,” the news release stated.

“It underscores that threats or acts of unilateral military intervention by third states are contrary to international law.”

The Fact-Finding Mission called on Iranian authorities to uphold the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression and to unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained for exercising protected conduct.

It said it was reviewing video footage and photographs showing security forces opening fire on protesters. Video footage also showed individuals setting fire to buildings and vehicles in public streets.

The Fact-Finding Mission also raised concern over the use of force in ethnic minority regions, where reports indicate particularly brutal responses. In one incident, security forces allegedly raided a hospital in Ilam, deploying tear gas and beating patients and medical personnel.

It noted that the current crackdown mirrors patterns documented during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in 2022, which erupted after the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman arrested for allegedly violating mandatory hijab laws. Those protests were marked by allegations of gross human rights violations and systemic impunity.

The Fact-Finding Mission

Established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022, the Fact-Finding Mission is mandated to investigate alleged human rights violations in Iran linked to protests that began in September 2022, particularly those affecting women and children.

Its mandate was extended in April 2025 for a further year to examine allegations of recent and ongoing serious human rights violations.