Relatives of slain protesters gather in front of Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, holding up their portraits in Tehran, on Jan. 12, 2026. (Credit: Screenshot from Instagram @yasaman.khaleghian)
One might think that a crackdown killing thousands is already more than enough to deter anyone from returning to the streets. But in Iran today, state violence does not stop at death. It targets the living too, through the regime’s reign of terror that obstructs funerals, seizes bodies, mutilates them or makes them disappear.After nearly two weeks of a drastic internet blackout imposed by the regime, the first portraits of those killed during the protests in Iran are beginning to circulate on social media.From Tehran, where his connection is still shaky despite using a VPN, Omid* can't tear himself away from his phone. “After the large demonstrations on Jan. 8 and 9, everyone we talked to — friends and acquaintances — had lost a loved one or mourned an injured friend,” the young man shares anonymously due to safety concerns. ...
One might think that a crackdown killing thousands is already more than enough to deter anyone from returning to the streets. But in Iran today, state violence does not stop at death. It targets the living too, through the regime’s reign of terror that obstructs funerals, seizes bodies, mutilates them or makes them disappear.After nearly two weeks of a drastic internet blackout imposed by the regime, the first portraits of those killed during the protests in Iran are beginning to circulate on social media.From Tehran, where his connection is still shaky despite using a VPN, Omid* can't tear himself away from his phone. “After the large demonstrations on Jan. 8 and 9, everyone we talked to — friends and acquaintances — had lost a loved one or mourned an injured friend,” the young man shares anonymously due to safety...
Iran negotiator vows 'decisive' response to US-Israeli attack