The Dual Crisis; External Bombardment and Internal Suffocation
While Iran grapples with the dire consequences of war and the bombardment of urban areas, evidence indicates that the repressive apparatus of the Islamic Republic has not only maintained its stance but is utilizing the wartime “state of emergency” as a cover for political purges and the consolidation of the new leadership’s power. On March 11, 2026 (20 Esfand 1404), the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran officially warned that Iranian civilians are facing escalating risks. The mission noted that the simultaneous pressure of external military force and internal security measures has increased the risk of “grave human rights violations” to an unprecedented level.
The “Finger on the Trigger” Order: A Military Posture Against Protesters
Military and law enforcement officials of the regime have employed explicit rhetoric to categorize domestic protests as military targets.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Law Enforcement Force (FARAJA), Ahmadreza Radan, in a speech on March 9, 2026 (broadcast early March 10 on state television), announced a state of “full readiness with fingers on the trigger.” He emphasized that any internal movement would face a “decisive response.” These statements highlight a familiar pattern in Iran’s official messaging: a warning that any unrest will be suppressed through the lethal use of force.
State-run media and the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) have issued cautionary statements declaring that in a wartime state, any protest gathering is considered “cooperation with the enemy,” authorizing the armed forces to use live ammunition (direct fire) against protesters.
Timeline of Official Messaging Preparing for Repression:
| Date | Content Broadcasted | Implicit/Operational Message |
| Feb 28 | Any disruptive action will face a decisive response. Security and judicial bodies are on full alert. | Any protest = Threat to National Security |
| March 1 | No leniency will be shown. Any unauthorized gathering is considered cooperation with the enemy. | Absolute criminalization of protest |
| March 2 | The Judiciary will act immediately against any national security threats and issue deterrent sentences. | Summary trials and elimination of the right to defense |
| March 3 | Internal agitators are part of the enemy’s project. Security forces will not allow insecurity. | Protester = Enemy agent / Fifth column |
| March 4 | In wartime, any action against national security faces a decisive response. The IRGC is on full alert. | Official military entry into domestic repression |
| March 10 | Radan: Our hands are on the trigger. Those who take to the streets per the enemy’s wish will be treated as the enemy. | Authorization for direct lethal fire |
| March 11 | Re-broadcast of Radan’s speech; analysts state any gathering may be part of enemy operations. Security forces have full authority. | TV confirmation of execution of the lethal force threats |
Information Blackout and Targeted Arrests
While the internet in Iran has been in a state of absolute blackout for over two weeks, the repressive apparatus is conducting mass arrests within this information vacuum. Following Radan’s threats, Rokna state-run news agency reported on March 14, 2026 (23 Esfand 1404), that a significant number of arrests had occurred. The report noted that the IRGC in Qom announced the arrest of 13 individuals suspected of “anti-security actions” along with three Starlink satellite terminals by Basij intelligence units. The severance of international communications has deprived human rights monitors of the ability to accurately observe the crimes and ongoing repression during the war.
The Judiciary: The Logistic Arm of Systematic Repression
The Chief Justice, Mohsen Eje’i, during a visit to the Court of Administrative Justice on March 12, 2026 (21 Esfand 1404), described the judiciary as part of the “battlefield”.
- Eje’i emphasized the development of “electronic trials” while the country’s internet is cut. This contradiction reveals that the goal of these “rapid electronic trials” is solely to expedite sentencing while bypassing legal formalities and the defendant’s right to a fair trial.
- By praising the armed forces as the “children of Imam Khamenei,” he demonstrated the inseparable link between the judiciary and the machinery of war and repression. This clearly indicates that under the leadership of Mojtaba Khamenei, repression will not be curtailed in the slightest, even while the population is under heavy bombardment.
Power Transition to Mojtaba Khamenei: Guaranteeing Continued Crimes
State-affiliated media have recently referred to Mojtaba Khamenei as the one who continues the “Path of the Revolution.” Despite never holding an official senior government position, he has long been recognized by analysts as a powerful figure behind the scenes. Reports over the years indicate his deep influence within his father’s political office and his close ties to key security institutions. He is an individual who, alongside his father, has been among the highest officials responsible for repression over the past three decades. With his official appointment, the regime continues its policies of repression, suffocation, the export of terrorism, and warmongering.
Political Prisoners: Hostages Under Bombardment
One of the most horrific dimensions of the current situation is the status of inmates:
- Hostage Policy: Despite the fact that bombings and missile strikes threaten the lives of thousands of political prisoners and protesters detained during the January 2026 uprising, the regime refuses to release them. This behavior is a clear example of using prisoners as “human shields” or “hostages” to prevent future uprisings.
- The Execution Machine in War: The judiciary is prepared to repeat the “purging” patterns of 1988. Currently, 14 protesters from the January 2026 uprising and 59 other political prisoners are on death row. This figure excludes thousands of ordinary prisoners sentenced to death for offenses that do not carry the death penalty under international law.
Legal Analysis: Systematic Violation of Domestic and International Laws
The aforementioned actions constitute a flagrant violation of the following treaties and laws:
- A) Violation of International Law:
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): Violation of Article 6 (Right to Life) and Article 9 (Arbitrary Detention). According to Article 4 of this Covenant, even in states of emergency or war, the right to life and the prohibition of torture are “non-derogable”; the Republic has no right to shoot protesters or execute them.
- Fourth Geneva Convention: Violation of the state’s responsibility to protect the lives of detainees in war zones. The regime is obligated to evacuate prisoners from areas under bombardment, not use them as hostages.
- UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms: The use of lethal force (the “finger on the trigger” order) is only permissible when there is an immediate threat of death or serious injury, not for dispersing protesters.
- B) Violation of Domestic Laws of the Islamic Republic:
- Article 27 of the Constitution: The right to peaceful assembly, which has been completely nullified by the “shoot the protester” declaration.
- Articles 38 and 39 of the Constitution: The prohibition of all forms of torture and the requirement to respect the dignity and honor of prisoners. Keeping prisoners under bombardment and threatening them with lethal violence directly violates these principles.
- Criminal Procedure Code: Violation of the right to access a lawyer and the right to a fair trial, which has been effectively destroyed under the guise of “rapid electronic trials” during an internet blackout.
Conclusion: The Necessity for Urgent International Preventive Action
The time for issuing ineffective statements has passed. The Islamic Republic is utilizing the opportunity provided by the war to carry out a “systematic political purge” within its borders. The internet blackout, the order for direct fire, and the transition of power to Mojtaba Khamenei are all pieces of a puzzle designed for the physical elimination of dissidents.
The international community must understand: Silence in the face of the bombardment of Iranian cities must not mean ignoring the slaughter in its streets and prisons. We call upon the UN Special Rapporteur, Ms. Mai Sato, to utilize all legal instruments, including “Universal Jurisdiction,” to prosecute the perpetrators of these orders, including Ahmadreza Radan and Mohsen Eje’i.
The international community must not allow the “state of war” to serve as a legal vacuum or a protective shroud for the commission of mass atrocities. The systematic endangerment of prisoners’ lives, combined with “fire at will” orders and the direct shooting of protesters in the streets, constitute grave breaches of international law. We emphasize that any failure to intervene now will facilitate a repeat of extrajudicial killings, for which the perpetrators must be held criminally liable under the principle of individual and command responsibility.
