Political repression in the Islamic Republic of Iran

The 1979 revolution and the rise of the Islamic Republic The 1979 Islamic Revolution, which resulted in the overthrow of the Pahlavi monarchy, marked a significant shift in governance for Iran. Following the revolution, political power was held by the clerical leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, Having overthrown the previous government due to its own oppression of civil liberties, Khomeini was first viewed as a unifying figure who did not seek power but only to help free the Iranian people as well as an ally of the different branches of the Iranian opposition. Subsequently, Khomeini's regime moved to systemically and swiftly eliminate rival political groups. The 1980s: revolutionary purges and the consolidation of power 1981-1982 massacres The 1981 massacre was orchestrated by the Islamic Republic of Iran, which targeted perceived political and religious opponents of the Islamic Republic. Among those targeted were intellectuals, artists, scientists, liberals, monarchists, socialists, ethnic minorities, as well as members of religious groups such as the Bahá'í Faith. Spanning from June 1981 to March 1982, this mass violence was part of the Cultural Revolution, which was initiated by Ayatollah Khomeini with the goal of removing non-Islamic influences from Iranian society. This purge led to the deaths of thousands of political and religious dissidents, as well as critics of the regime. In 2024, the United Nations Special Rapporteur classified the crimes committed during this period as both genocide and crimes against humanity. The report called for the establishment of an independent international body to investigate and hold those responsible accountable for their actions during the massacre. The executions were conducted without any legal process, with trials that focused neither on determining guilt nor innocence. Many prisoners were subjected to torture, and the executions were carried out in secrecy. The exact number of those killed remains uncertain, but estimates range from 2,800 to 5,000 people were killed, according to Human Rights Watch, with some human rights organizations such as Amnesty International estimating at least 5,000 deaths. Most of the victims were supporters of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MeK), but individuals from other leftist groups, such as the Fedaian and the Tudeh Party, were also executed. While one possible motive for the killings was retaliation for the MeK's Operation Mersad in 1988, there were also victims unrelated to the operation. Ayatollah Montazeri, the Deputy Supreme Leader at the time, claimed that the regime had planned these executions for years, using the MeK operation as a pretext. == Political repression under Ali Khamenei (1989–2026) ==

The Transition to Khamenei's leadership In 1989, following the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, Ali Khamenei assumed the role of Supreme Leader of Iran. A former president and a close ally of Khomeini, Khamenei continued the policies of the Islamic Republic. According to The Guardian, he acted by "eliminating opponents and rewarding those loyal to him". Among those targeted by Khamenei were poets. there were widespread protests known collectively as the Green Movement. Protesters demanded the annulment of the election results and the resignation of the government, accusing the regime of rigging the election. In response to the protests, the Iranian government used police, the IRGC and its paramilitary Basij militia. Basij members carried out night raids as well as raids against the homes of Iranians during protests. According to the Los Angeles Times, militiamen from Ansar-e Hezbollah warned that they would patrol the streets to enforce law and order. Thousands were arrested, hundreds were killed, and many others were tortured or forced into making televised confessions. Public protests erupted across several cities in Iran starting on December 28, 2017, and continued into early 2018, often referred to as the Dey protests. The protests initially began in Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, focusing on economic issues, but quickly expanded to include political opposition to the theocratic government and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Demonstrators expressed their anger through a variety of chants directed at the regime and its leadership, including the provocative "Death to the dictator!" aimed at Khamenei. According to HRW, the Iranian government is a world leader in the carrying out of executions, performing 233 executions in 2020. Among those executed were people convicted of crimes when they were children. Human rights defenders, ethnic minorities, and political activists face arbitrary imprisonment, torture, and unfair trials according to HRW. The government's actions, including the imprisonment of peaceful dissenters and the failure to hold security forces accountable, are said to have deepened public frustration with the regime. HRW reported at least 500 deaths, including those of 68 children. Security forces reportedly used various types of bullets to shoot victims. HRW also reported that a 17-year-old boy, a high school student, was sexually assaulted, and another was pushed onto a lit gas range and tortured during her arrest. HRW also found that Iranian interrogators used needles to torture a boy. but eventually reinstated following public pressure. During the Twelve-Day War Following the onset of the Twelve-Day War, Amnesty International reported that Iranian authorities have escalated their political repression by targeting individuals accused of espionage or collaboration with Israel. The government implemented calls for expedited trials and executions, targeting those the Iranian government accused of "enmity against God" and "corruption on earth," which is punishable by death in Iran. Amnesty International expressed grave concerns about what it called the systematic abuse of the death penalty. Amnesty warned that these charges are often used to punish individuals for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression. The Iranian government also targeted family members of the detained and those already on death row. Amnesty reported a heightened risk of execution for individuals like Swedish-Iranian academic Ahmadreza Djalali and others sentenced after unfair trials and forced confessions. Iranian officials cited Article 8 of a national security law, which prescribes prison terms for such actions, and said their actions were done in order to combat "hostile measures." The regime also cracked down on internet access following, a move often used to stifle dissent. In response, Elon Musk has stated that Starlink is now functioning in Iran. The Long War Journal wrote that at least 10 individuals were detained on espionage charges linked to Israel, with two executed at the onset of the conflict. 2026 Iran massacres The government crackdown during the 2025–2026 Iranian protests resulted in massacres that left tens of thousands of protesters dead, making it one of the largest massacres in modern Iranian history. According to the Human Rights Movement News Agency (HRANA), in the two weeks since December 28, 2025, more than 18,000 people have been arrested and at least 2,571 people have died. On January 14, the Iranian Human Rights Organization (IHR), based in Norway, said that at least 3,428 protesters were killed by Iranian security forces and at least 10,000 protesters were arrested during the peak of the unrest in Iran from January 8 to 12. Meanwhile, on January 14, Iran signaled its readiness to swiftly try and execute anti-government protesters and intensified its crackdown on demonstrations across the country, meaning the death toll could rise further. Sources close to Iran's Supreme National Security Council and the presidential office report that the killing of protesters was carried out on the direct order of Khamenei, with full approval from senior state officials. The council allegedly authorised live fire, which was executed mainly by the IRGC in what is described as a deliberate, organised operation exceptional in scale and intensity. On January 13 the Guardian reported that Islamic Republic security forces were documented using shotguns and rifles with live ammunition, as well as heavy DShK machine guns against protesters. The presence of Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces, Arabic-speaking mercenaries, Lebanon's Hezbollah, and the Afghan Liwa Fatemiyoun in suppressing protests was reported. The Iranian government has been accused of using footage of protesters' bodies in morgues to demoralise future protests. Families trying to receive the bodies of their loved ones have often times been forced to pay compensation for the bullets that killed their relatives. Reports stated that security forces and Revolutionary Guard members raided and intimidated the families of protesters who were killed, imposed restrictions on the retrieval and burial of bodies, and warned that families would be charged fees. Likewise, images and videos from the pro-government rallies were reported to have been altered. Additionally, multiple testimonies have revealed Iranian security forces raiding hospitals to arrest, and in many cases execute, hospitalised protesters. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, as of January 14, 2026, over 18,400 people had been arrested. Human rights observers reported that tens of thousands of individuals were detained during the protests, with security forces arresting those suspected of participating in demonstrations. According to rights organizations, authorities have also focused on particular groups viewed as posing a threat to the state, including certain politicians, medical professionals, legal practitioners, and journalists. Repression has become nearly total, with prohibitions against open decent being strictly enforced. On January 9, it was reported by multiple media outlets that Iran, in a largely unprecedented measure, had activated military-grade jammers to disrupt civilian Starlink signals. Initially only 30 percent of the media traffic was affected but it rose to 80 percent within several hours. as saying that "Iran's current nationwide blackout is a blunt instrument intended to crush dissent." The Iranian judiciary seized the assets of people it described as "supporters of the United States and Israel" without providing any evidence. == Mechanisms of Political Repression ==

The Role of the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) The IRGC plays a central role in the enforcement of political repression in Iran. Under its control is the Basij militia, which is tasked with controlling and oppressing dissent against the Islamic Revolution. The IRGC was created to protect the new theocratic regime and prevent coups, to protect Ayatollah Khomeini's vision of a state based on velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the jurist). The IRGC has grown into a powerful military, political, and economic force. The IRGC is tasked with maintaining internal security and defending the regime against perceived threats, both domestic and foreign. Former members occupy high-ranking government positions. It has amassed wealth by operating networks that bypass international sanctions. The organization is responsible for overseeing various repressive activities, including the suppression of protests, surveillance of opposition figures, and the control of media and internet access. The IRGC is said to control between 20 and 40% of the Iranian economy. The Basij has used violence against students, women, and opposition activists. Courts in Iran lack independence from government or religion. Political dissidents are sometimes denied access to legal representation and can be forced into making confessions through torture. Arbitrary arrests and trials deemed unfair by Amnesty International are held. Amnesty International also reported that Iran's detention of foreign nationals in Iran can amount to hostage taking. In the Iranian legal system, there is capital punishment for political crimes, including charges such as efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth), moharabeh (waging war against god), insulting the Prophet Mohammed and others. Media censorship and internet surveillance Media censorship is a tool of political repression in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The government controls all major newspapers, television, and radio stations, with independent journalism being severely restricted. Journalists who criticize the government or cover political events are subject to violence. The media in Iran was described by the FFDD as "propaganda". Iran has one of the world's most restrictive internet censorship systems, with the government and the IRGC blocking access to around 70% of the internet, including major platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Telegram. The government heavily monitors and restricts internet traffic, with the Internet Filtering Committee deciding which sites to block. In response to the 2019 protests, Iran implemented a total internet shutdown, reducing traffic to 5% of normal levels. Following the 2022 protests over Mahsa Amini's death, Iran was ranked as the second-highest country for internet censorship. Authorities have targeted VPNs to prevent access to foreign media. As of 2025, over 100,000 Starlink terminals were operating in Iran. Seizure of the bodies of protestors The Islamic Republic of Iran has been accused of seizing the bodies of deceased protesters from hospitals and morgues, preventing their families from conducting funerals, which could otherwise become focal points for further protests. This practice is said to have been occurring since the start of the regime's rule and to have escalated following protests. The UN said Iran has refused to return the bodies of some of the deceased, as well as linked it with Iran's treatment of detained protesters. The confiscation of bodies is viewed as a method to deny the victims and their families dignity and respect, as well as a way to conceal atrocities committed by the government. This act violates both international human rights law and Islamic law, which mandate proper burial and respect for the deceased. In addition to violating legal and moral principles, this practice also denies families the right to seek justice and truth regarding their loved ones' deaths. By preventing funerals, the authorities are said to aim to stifle potential protests and obscure the true scale of the violence against protesters. Dual nationals detained in Iran include German-Iranian Nahid Taghavi and Swedish-Iranian academic Ahmadreza Djalali. Deutsche Welle's Shabnam von Hein noted that the tactic of hostage taking increases during discussions over Iran's nuclear program. In Khuzestan, large-scale hydrological interventions, including dam building and river management projects, have been associated with long-term ecological degradation, water scarcity and the displacement of local livelihoods. These processes have been accompanied by the use of security forces to suppress unrest, including violent crackdowns during the 2021 water protests. In general, environmental transformations are often enforced through coercive state practices, where policing and repression are used to secure development projects and manage populations affected by resource extraction and ecological decline. == See also ==