Iranian Regime Accused of Killing 36,000 in 48-Hour Crackdown as Sharing Footage Becomes a Crime

Iranian authorities may have killed more than 36,000 people in a 48-hour crackdown on protests, according to leaked intelligence documents reviewed by Iran International. The regime has simultaneously moved to criminalize the sharing of footage with foreign media, threatening potential death sentences for those who transmit images of the violence.

This comes as the European Union has condemned the crackdown and called for expanded sanctions against officials responsible for the killings. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced a ban on Iranian Islamic Republic diplomatic staff from Parliament premises.

The Scale of the Killing

The death toll figures have escalated rapidly. Initial reports from Iranian doctors cited 16,500 killed and 330,000 injured in the first two weeks of protests. By January 22, Interior Ministry documents placed the toll above 30,000. IRGC intelligence reports dated January 24 cited more than 36,500 deaths.

According to classified materials reviewed by Iran International, the regime launched its decisive crackdown on January 8 and 9, deploying IRGC and Basij forces across more than 400 cities and towns. Over 4,000 confrontation sites were reported nationwide as live ammunition replaced crowd-control tactics.

Amnesty International documented security forces positioned on rooftops, residential buildings, and mosques, firing rifles and shotguns with metal pellets, often targeting heads and torsos. Medical workers reported receiving dozens of bodies in single nights.

Criminalizing Information

The regime has imposed one of the most severe information blackouts in modern history. Since January 8, Iran has maintained a near-total internet shutdown, cutting off mobile phones, landlines, and even satellite internet through Russian-supplied Kalinka jammers that disabled more than 40,000 Starlink terminals.

Beyond the digital blackout, the regime has moved to criminalize the transmission of footage to foreign media. Under Iran's expanded espionage law, citizens face potential death sentences for offenses including sharing images on social media with "hostile networks" that authorities claim undermine national security. The law specifically names Starlink equipment, making distribution punishable by death if done "with the intent to oppose the system."

Security forces have established inspection posts at city entrances to search citizens' mobile phones. The Justice Ministry has warned that even following social media accounts deemed hostile could constitute a criminal offense.

Europe's Response

The European Parliament paid tribute to those killed with a moment of applause rather than silence. President Metsola declared that the chamber would not aid in legitimizing a regime "that has sustained itself through torture, repression and murder."

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas condemned the violence in a statement on January 9. "Shutting down the internet while violently suppressing protests exposes a regime afraid of its own people," Kallas said. "Images from Tehran reveal a disproportionate and heavy-handed response by the security forces."

The European Parliament has called for the EU to swiftly broaden its sanctions to include all individuals sustaining the regime through repression, violence, and killings. The resolution demanded an immediate end to the violence, a halt to executions, and cessation of the murder of civilians.

This follows Iran's digital blackout, which has isolated Iranians from the outside world while the crackdown continues. As we reported earlier, despite the regime's most severe internet shutdown in history, satellite connections have punched holes through the blackout, carrying images of protesters torching IRGC banks and hoisting pre-Islamic flags.

International Calls for Action

Amnesty International has called for special sessions at the UN Human Rights Council and Security Council, urging the Security Council to refer Iran to the International Criminal Court.

Columbia University researcher Les Roberts told TIME that the 30,000 verified deaths are "almost certainly an underestimate," noting that crisis mortality counts often omit victims who never reach hospitals or are buried outside official channels.

A human rights defender quoted by Amnesty issued a stark warning: "Tell the world that if they do nothing, they will turn the country into a graveyard."

The EU's sanctions regime against Iran has been renewed annually since 2011 and was last extended until April 2026. Since October 2022, in view of the deteriorating human rights situation, the EU has significantly expanded sanctions targeting those responsible for repression.