The Islamic Republic Regime Uses Lethal Force Against Protesters As Human Rights Defenders Remain Detained

The Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand is deeply alarmed by credible reports that the Islamic Republic’s authorities have once again used lethal force to suppress nationwide protests over the past several days.

According to Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the identities of at least 10 people killed by state forces have been confirmed as of 3 January 2025.

Hengaw also reported that at least 132 protesters have been arrested so far, including:

• 12 women
• 8 children
• 64 Kurds
• 39 Lors
• 7 university students
• 5 teachers

These figures point to the systematic targeting of women, children, ethnic minorities, students, and educators—groups that have long borne the brunt of state repression in Iran.

Given the Islamic Republic’s well-documented record, there are serious concerns for those detained. Torture, forced confessions, prolonged arbitrary detention, and execution are not hypothetical risks, but established patterns of abuse.

The organisation is also deeply concerned by the arrest and continued detention of human rights defenders in December 2025. Among those detained is Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and prominent women’s rights advocate, who was violently arrested on 12 December 2025 while attending a memorial ceremony. The authorities in Iran have provided no transparent or credible information regarding the health, legal status, or conditions of detention of those arrested.

The use of live ammunition against unarmed civilians, mass arrests, and the detention of human rights defenders constitute serious violations of international human rights law, including the rights to life, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly.

The Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand urges the New Zealand Government, opposition parties, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to:

• Publicly and unequivocally condemn the killing of protesters and the violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations in Iran;
• Call for the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained protesters and human rights defenders;
• Summon the Islamic Republic’s Ambassador to formally convey New Zealand’s opposition to the use of lethal force, mass detention, and systematic repression of civilians.

Silence in the face of such abuses enables further violence. New Zealand must act decisively and publicly to make clear that the killing, detention, and intimidation of civilians and human rights defenders will not be met with indifference or impunity.

© Scoop Media