International Criminal Responsibility for Organized Crimes Against Humanity in Iran
What unfolded in the streets of Iran in January 2026 was neither a sudden accident nor a transient, emotional reaction. This uprising was the product of the simultaneous convergence of two deep and chronic crises—economic and political; crises that for years have eroded the foundations of society and created a profound chasm between the majority of the people and the ruling minority. This gap, within the context of structural policies based on plunder, discrimination, and the monopoly of power, reached a point where social explosion became inevitable.
The Iranian Regime’s Response to the People’s Will
In the daily press briefing of the Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General held on Friday, January 23, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson, referred to the statements made by Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, regarding the situation in Iran. According to Volker Türk, thousands of people, including children, have lost their lives during the security crackdown by the Iranian regime, which intensified from January 8 with the use of live ammunition against demonstrators. He stated that reports indicate peaceful protesters have been targeted and killed in streets, residential areas, universities, and even medical centers. The High Commissioner added that video evidence shows hundreds of bodies in morgues with fatal injuries to the head and chest. He described these events as a sign of “brutal and organized” suppression by the Iranian regime.
Blinding the World to Commit Ongoing Crimes Against Humanity
NetBlocks, the global internet monitor, announced that Iran remains in its third week of a nationwide internet blackout, and after approximately 348 hours since the start of this situation, only a very limited increase in the overall connectivity level has been observed. According to the NetBlocks report published early Friday, January 23, 2026, national network connectivity remains at a very low level, and the country’s communication infrastructure is effectively in a state of shutdown or severe and continuous disruption. Referring to the limited increase in “tunneling users,” NetBlocks stated that a small portion of existing communications is established through censorship-circumvention tools like VPNs and proxies, which does not signify a genuine return of the internet.
This monitoring body also warned that evidence of “synthetic traffic” production by the Iranian regime has been observed; an action aimed at promoting the claim that the internet is being restored, while independent NetBlocks data refutes such claims. This traffic engineering and digital deception is a deliberate tactic to buy time for the destruction of evidence of the crime, the evacuation of morgues, and the creation of “Impunity” for high-ranking command levels. According to NetBlocks, despite some scattered and unusual connections, the overall network image in Iran continues to show a persistent nationwide blackout, strict control of communications, and the deception of public opinion by the Iranian regime.
Chand Sanieh Telegram account (government-linked outlet)– General Jamshidian: The Country Security Council and the Supreme National Security Council are reviewing the restoration of the internet “with a gentle slope” and “on a point-by-point and thematic basis.”
Chand Sanieh Telegram account- Secretary of the Country Security Council: Currently, no exact time can be stated for lifting the restrictions on the international internet.
Admission to Massacre and Organized Suppression
In an official statement, the Country Security Council pulled back the curtain on the horrific dimensions of the suppression and admitted that in recent events, “3,117 people have lost their lives,” of whom 2,427 were labeled as “innocent people and guardians of order” (State TV). This figure, beyond a mere media statistic, is a “Legal Admission of Guilt” that is unprecedented in the history of the Islamic Republic and serves as definitive evidence for the criminal prosecution of the perpetrators of this massacre in international courts.
Tasnim Telegram account (Affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – IRGC)
– Eje’I (The head of regime’s judiciary): Rulings must be swift and decisive/There should be no leniency, negligence, or delay for those who must receive a decisive, swift, Sharia-based, and legal punishment.
– General Radan (Chief of SSF), emphasizing the continuation of the police-state atmosphere, admitted: “Our targeted arrests are increasing every day across the country” (Tasnim).
State TV: Police Commander of Ray County: With precise intelligence monitoring and the cooperation of the people, 100 of the main agents and ringleaders of the riots in Ray County were identified and arrested.
Tasnim– Pakpour, IRGC Commander: The Revolutionary Guards are more prepared than ever to execute the Leader’s orders.
Global Courage to Break the Wall of Silence Against Crimes Against Humanity is Possible
In circumstances where “silence” is a sign of a quiet protest and many follow the old tradition of “a minute of silence” to pay respect to the martyrs, the European Parliament broke that quiet “silence.” On Tuesday, January 20, the floor of the European Parliament was the scene of a conscious break from this rule; a meaningful, political, and hopeful break for the people of Iran. In this session, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, addressing the representatives, declared:
“I ask you to join me in filling this Parliament with applause in honor of the courage and bravery of those killed in the uprising of the Iranian people.”
And the European Parliament stood; not for silence, but to applaud. This was not a random choice. She knew that silence is the language of mourning; but applause is the language of resistance, continuity, hope, pride, and progress. The message was clear: the martyrs of the Iranian uprising are not silent victims; they did not die, they were not silenced, and they will not be forgotten. They flow like blood in the veins of a nation’s life.
There Will Never Be Silence Again; The Wall of Fear Has Collapsed
The mother of Danial Dayyani, one of the martyrs of the nationwide uprising in Kerman, cried out during her son’s burial while clutching his photo: “Khamenei, rule now,” “Khamenei, the executioner, rule upon the blood of our children.” According to some reports, Danial Dayyani was a law student at Razi University in Kermanshah and a native of Kerman, who was shot and killed during the crackdown of the uprising on January 8 in Kerman and was buried in his birthplace on January 10.
The Future of Iran
In the heart of a street surrounded by iron barriers and the shadow of suppression, a child stands,
a child with a small stature and a presence greater than a thousand guards, darkness, and censorship,
He has no foreign support, no podium, no weapons, no army, and no official power,
And with two small fingers of his hand, and a hand that is raised, he shows the sign of victory,
This child is the summary of a nation,
a nation that, even when the streets are blocked and the internet is cut, sends its message through images,
A nation that, when bullets are fired, stands, fights, and answers with two fingers:
Victory!
The Test of the International Community
The Iranian uprising in January was not only a test for Khamenei’s regime—which in the end finished off even the slightest shred of its legitimacy in the eyes of the global community—but it is also a test for the international community that calls itself free and democratic. Today, the international community stands before this historic choice: either by immediate action, it declares the end of “Impunity” and prevents an endless catastrophe, or by inaction, it paves the way for the normalization of crimes against humanity by other dictatorships. Will it remain silent and inactive before such a regime and turn a blind eye to the gross violation of human rights, massacre, and crimes against humanity, becoming an example so that every dictator from now on acts without fear of global accountability? Or will it build a firm foundation for the defense of human rights and accountability against massacre and crimes against humanity, so that every dictator in the future knows the consequences of their repressive actions and that there is a world that does not remain silent in the face of such oppression, human rights violations, massacre, and crimes against humanity?
