Protests in Iran: Around 2,000 dead, according to officials

The protests in Iran that have been ongoing since December 28th were sparked by the poor economic situation and culminated in calls for the leadership of the Islamic Republic to be overthrown. Security forces used violence against the demonstrators.

Protests in Iran: First charges

The US-based human rights organization HRANA recently said that at least 646 people had been killed in the protests by Monday. These include 505 demonstrators, 113 members of the security forces and seven bystanders. Hrana said 579 other reported deaths were still being investigated. Since the protests began, 10,721 people have been arrested. Reuters could not verify all the figures.

In view of the ongoing mass protests against the government, the judiciary in Iran has initiated the first indictments. The public prosecutor’s office in Tehran has filed charges against several arrested people, the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported. Particularly serious cases of “rioters” would therefore be treated with priority and separately. This also includes the accusation of “waging war against God” – an offense that can be punished with the death penalty under Islamic law in Iran.

Internet still blocked

Iran’s justice chief called for retribution for security forces and police officers killed during the protests on Monday. Those who attacked police forces or attacked security force facilities and city infrastructure must be brought to justice as a matter of priority, said Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei. After a communication blockade that lasted for days, Iranians can make calls abroad again for the first time. Meanwhile, the Internet remains blocked, as contacts from the Iranian capital Tehran reported. Iran’s security apparatus had cut off the population from the outside world since Thursday evening in view of mass protests.

The two EU countries Spain and Finland have responded to the violence against demonstrators in Iran by summoning the Iranian ambassadors. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told the broadcaster that the “strong rejection and condemnation” of the leadership in Tehran’s actions against the protests in the country had been conveyed to the ambassador of the Islamic Republic in Madrid Catalonia Radio. “The right of Iranian men and women to peaceful protest and their freedom of expression must be respected,” demanded the Spanish chief diplomat. The “arbitrary” arrests in Iran must also stop. Albares called on the Iranian leadership to return “to the negotiating tables.” Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said on Tuesday on the online service Her country will not accept this and will summon the Iranian ambassador on Tuesday. “We stand behind the Iranian people,” Valtonen assured. Finland, in cooperation with the EU, is examining “measures to help restore the freedom of the Iranian people.”

“Last days and weeks of this regime”

The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz In view of the mass protests in Iran, he expects the government there to end soon. “If a regime can only stay in power through violence, then it is effectively over. I assume that we are now seeing the last days and weeks of this regime,” he said during his visit to India in Bengaluru.

Iran’s leadership has no legitimacy among the population through elections anyway. “The population is now standing up against this regime,” he continued. “I hope that there is a way to end this conflict peacefully. The mullahs’ regime must now also realize that.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attacked Merz on social media. “Iranians also remember Mr. Merz’s disgusting praise of Israel,” the minister wrote on Platform X, alluding to Merz’s controversial “dirty work” statement. In June 2025, Merz defended the Israeli attacks on Iran and said that Israel was doing the dirty work for everyone. “Shame on you. Better yet: Germany should end its interference in our region, which violates international law,” Araghchi continued. The Iranian regime views Israel as its arch-enemy. UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk has expressed his horror at the violence against protesters in Iran. “The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop,” said the Austrian on Tuesday in Geneva. “Stigmatizing protesters as ‘terrorists’ to justify violence against them is unacceptable.” The Iranian authorities attempted to “use brutal force to suppress legitimate demands for change.”