Iran accused of killing 16,500 in sweeping ‘genocide’ crackdown: report
Iranian protesters are facing their deadliest days yet as security forces unleash mass killings and executions in a sweeping crackdown some have labeled “genocide,” new reports say.
According to The Sunday Times, a report compiled by doctors entrenched in the region and reviewed by the outlet, estimates that security forces have killed at least 16,500 protesters and injured more than 330,000 others.
The report also described the violence as an “utter slaughter,” warning that the true toll may be even higher due to restricted access to hospitals and the near-total shutdown of communications.
POMPEO SAYS IRANIAN REGIME HAS ARRIVED AT ‘NATURAL TERMINUS’: ‘LET’S NOT WASTE THIS HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY’
Most of the victims, the report says, are believed to be under the age of 30, underscoring the heavy toll on Iran’s younger generation as the regime intensifies its efforts to crush dissent.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged Sunday that “several thousands” have been killed since protests erupted Dec. 28.
In a televised address, he blamed demonstrators, calling them “foot-soldiers of the U.S.” and falsely claiming protesters were armed with imported live ammunition.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that as of day 22 of the protests, verified figures show 3,919 people killed, with 8,949 additional deaths under investigation, 2,109 severely injured, and 24,669 detainees.
HRANA noted that the true toll is likely far higher due to the internet shutdown.
Professor Amir Parasta, an Iranian-German eye surgeon and medical director of Munich MED, said in The Sunday Times report that doctors across Iran are “shocked and crying,” despite having experience treating war injuries.
G7 THREATENS IRAN WITH NEW SANCTIONS OVER NATIONWIDE PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS
“This is a whole new level of brutality,” Parasta said. He added that Starlink terminals smuggled into Iran have been the only means of communication since authorities cut internet access on Jan. 8.
Eyewitnesses who fled Iran also described snipers targeting protesters’ heads, mass shootings and systematic blinding using pellet guns.
One former Iranian resident said in the report that doctors reported more than 800 eye removals in a single night in the capital alone, with possibly more than 8,000 people blinded nationwide.
“This is genocide under the cover of digital darkness,” Parasta said.
Alongside the street killings, executions have surged dramatically, according to Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
Safavi told Fox News Digital that 2,200 people were executed in 2025, while 153 have already been hanged in the first 18 days of January 2026, averaging more than eight executions per day.
IRAN REGIME OPENED FIRE WITH LIVE AMMUNITION ON PROTESTERS, DOCTOR SAYS: ‘SHOOT-TO-KILL’
“Ali Khamenei is continuing mass executions in parallel with the killing of young protesters,” Safavi said. “Three executions in the form of hanging are now happening every hour according to our data.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously disputed high death tolls reported in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, claiming fatalities were only in the hundreds and dismissing higher figures as “misinformation.”
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President Donald Trump sharply condemned Khamenei over the weekend, calling him a “sick man” and urging new leadership in Iran.
In an interview with Politico, Trump accused Khamenei of overseeing “the complete destruction of the country” and using “violence at levels never seen before,” adding that Iran’s leadership should “stop killing people.”
Viral protest video against Iran’s supreme leader sparks copycat demonstrations worldwide
A viral video showing an Iranian refugee lighting a cigarette using a burning image of Iran’s supreme leader has become a global flashpoint as protests rock the Islamic Republic and President Donald Trump weighs military action against the regime.
The Associated Press reported the 34-second video shows a woman believed to be living in Canada igniting a photo of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – a capital crime in Iran – before calmly lighting a cigarette and letting the image fall to the ground.
The images accompanying this story show protesters recreating the act at demonstrations outside Iran, not the woman featured in the original viral video.
The footage has spread rapidly across social media as Iran’s government carries out a violent crackdown on dissent that activists say has killed thousands.
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The video has been shared millions of times across platforms such as X, Instagram and Reddit, with many viewers seeing it as a stark act of defiance against Iran’s clerical rulers.
Others have questioned whether the moment was spontaneous or staged, highlighting the growing skepticism that surrounds viral images in an age of artificial intelligence and information warfare.
What is undisputed is the symbolism of the act. In Iran, burning an image of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei can be punishable by death.
Smoking in public is considered immodest, and women are legally required to wear hijabs. In the brief clip, the woman defies all three norms at once, appearing without a headscarf as her hair hangs close to the flame.
G7 THREATENS IRAN WITH NEW SANCTIONS OVER NATIONWIDE PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS
The gesture has leapt from the digital world into the real one. Photos and videos have surfaced from protests in Europe, Israel and the U.S. showing demonstrators lighting cigarettes using images of Khamenei, mimicking what has become known online as the “cigarette girl” moment.
Iranian state media has announced wave after wave of arrests, targeting those it labels “terrorists” and seizing Starlink satellite internet equipment – often the only way videos can escape the country during government-imposed internet blackouts.
Activists say the regime has intensified repression in recent weeks as unrest spreads amid economic collapse and political instability.
EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE REVEALS 6-STEP PLAN TO EXERT PRESSURE ON TEHRAN’S REGIME
The AP reported the woman has described herself in interviews with other outlets as an Iranian refugee living in Toronto, and said she fled Iran after repeated arrests and abuse by security forces.
She filmed the video on Jan. 7, according to The AP – one day before Iran imposed a near-total internet blackout. She did so to show solidarity with “friends” inside the country, she said. She has asked that her real name not be published, citing fears for her safety and for family members who remain in Iran.
The video’s explosive reach underscores how social media has become a central battleground in modern conflicts, with images shaping global perception faster than governments can control them.
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As Trump weighs next steps toward Tehran, the clip has become more than a viral moment – it has become a symbol of resistance, scrutiny and the high stakes of dissent under authoritarian rule.
Iranian regime elites allegedly move millions of dollars out of country amid sanctions
Members of Iran’s ruling elite are said to have moved “tens of millions of dollars” out of the country as the U.S. imposed fresh sanctions over the regime’s violent protest crackdown, according to reports.
The regime’s “capital flight” came as the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced on Jan. 15 in a release that it was taking “action against the shadow banking networks that allow Iran’s elite to steal and launder revenue generated by the country’s natural resources.”
“There are several reports, some of which are yet to be confirmed, about capital flight in various forms from the Islamic Republic,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.
US AMBASSADOR WARNS IRAN AT EMERGENCY UN MEETING THAT TRUMP IS ‘MAN OF ACTION,’ ‘ALL OPTIONS ARE ON THE TABLE’
If confirmed, Ben Taleblu said, the suspected exodus of money underscores the need for U.S. authorities to track and “freeze and seize” assets tied to sanctioned figures.
“If capital flight has taken place, then these are accounts that the U.S. government should be looking to monitor, block, freeze and seize,” he said.
“At the direction of President Trump, the Treasury Department is sanctioning key Iranian leaders involved in the brutal crackdown against the Iranian people. Treasury will use every tool to target those behind the regime’s tyrannical oppression of human rights,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent also said in a statement on Jan. 15.
Bessent went on to reveal in an interview how his department had tracked the wiring of “tens of millions of dollars” out of Iran by leaders.
“We are now seeing the rats fleeing the ship, because we can see millions, tens of millions of dollars being wired out of the country, snuck out of the country by the Iranian leadership,” Bessent added.
FREED IRANIAN PRISONER SAYS ‘IN TRUMP, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC HAS MET ITS MATCH’
“So they are abandoning ship, and we are seeing it come into banks and financial institutions all over the world,” he added.
Iranian figures were said to be moving large sums abroad, with Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei allegedly transferring roughly $328 million overseas as part of an estimated $1.5 billion shift in recent days, Channel 14 reported.
“There were also some reports on social media about large volumes of Bitcoin being transferred, or other kinds of financial assets. I haven’t been able to independently confirm that, but it is something that’s being discussed,” Ben Taleblu added.
“The fact that the Treasury Department is looking at this tells you quite seriously that Washington is also trying to link its foreign economic policy with its national security policy,” he said.
Ben Taleblu also claimed Iran’s shadow banking system has been deeply embedded in global finance, with billions of dollars routed through jurisdictions “including the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Singapore.”
KEANE WARNS IRAN’S LEADERSHIP TO TAKE TRUMP ‘AT HIS WORD’ AS MILITARY ASSETS MOVE INTO REGION
“In the past, Washington has tracked the regime’s shadow banking activities, which, unfortunately, even include trade and money laundering through friendlier, more Western-leaning jurisdictions,” Ben Taleblu explained.
“In fact, the Treasury Department identified almost $9 billion of Iranian shadow banking activity that touched U.S. correspondent accounts throughout 2024,” he said.
Ben Taleblu added that the economic pressure campaign places renewed attention on President Donald Trump’s next move.
“All eyes right now are on President Trump to see if he takes a page from the Reagan playbook, the Obama playbook, or something else entirely,” Ben Taleblu said.
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“The million-dollar question is whether there will be something kinetic, especially after the most violent crackdown against protesters in the Islamic Republic’s history.”
“Economic sanctions are helpful and necessary,” he added, “but they are nowhere near sufficient to level the playing field between the street and the state.”
Keane warns Iran’s leadership to take Trump ‘at his word’ as military assets move into region
Retired Gen. Jack Keane said Iran’s leadership should take President Donald Trump “at his word,” arguing that the administration’s threat to hold the regime to account for violence against its own people remains in place as the U.S. moves military assets into the region.
Keane pushed back on the idea that the White House had softened its stance toward Tehran or might be trying to mislead Iran, saying Trump has been clear about his intent.
“I believe the president at his word. He intends to hold the regime accountable for what they have done,” Keane said on “The Sunday Briefing.”
The U.S.-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that more than 3,000 people were killed over roughly three weeks of unrest, though other reports put the death toll higher. Many thousands more have been arrested.
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“Certainly, the regime should take him at his word. They’ve completely disregarded it, obviously,” Keane said, adding that Iran’s “bloodbath” was not over.
He claimed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had brought in militias from other countries such as Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan to patrol the streets with loudspeakers and machine guns to suppress dissent.
IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER ACKNOWLEDGES THOUSANDS KILLED AS TRUMP CALLS FOR NEW LEADERSHIP: REPORTS
Trump has not yet taken action, Keane said, because the U.S. is still positioning assets and assessing how Iran might retaliate. He suggested American military bases and Israel were in danger of finding themselves in Iran’s crosshairs.
“What likely it means — I’m just speculating — is we’ve expanded the targets to ballistic missiles, which would do damage to us as well as to the Israelis. [We must] make certain that we have all the assets in the region to be able to accomplish that.”
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He said Trump has been explicit about his intentions and should not be underestimated.
“That threat is still on the table.”
World Economic Forum invites Iranian foreign minister to Davos after regime slaughter of Iranian civilians
The World Economic Forum is facing calls to freeze out members of the Iranian regime from a summit in Davos this week.
The Iran watchdog group United Against Nuclear Iran sent a letter to WEF President Borge Brende on Friday urging the group not to invite any officials from the Islamic Republic of Iran. The group tells Fox News Digital that WEF did not respond to the letter, and instead the forum added an interview with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to the summit’s schedule on Sunday.
WEF did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
UANI CEO Mark Wallace, who previously served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush, cited human rights group reports regarding the mass slaughter of Iranian civilians by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime.
EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE REVEALS 6-STEP PLAN TO EXERT PRESSURE ON TEHRAN’S REGIME
“Just this month, the Iranian regime has carried out what some believe to be the largest massacre in its history,” Wallace wrote to Brende. “Araghchi is a member of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), which reportedly issued an order to use live fire on Iranian civilians protesting. Estimates suggest the regime killed at least 12,000 and up to 20,000 Iranians over the course of a few days in January as they exercised their fundamental rights to demonstrate against the Ayatollah and his tyranny.”
“Hosting Iranian regime officials, such as Araghchi, who whitewash this record is deeply offensive and would be wholly inappropriate to platform at a Forum whose theme this year is ‘A Spirit of Dialogue.’ Instead of dialogue, the Islamic Republic offered bullets to these brave Iranians,” Wallace continued.
Iran’s supreme leader publicly acknowledged for the first time Saturday that thousands of people were killed during recent anti-government protests, according to reporting from the BBC.
TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP CREATES ‘RARE OPPORTUNITY’ FOR CHANGE IN IRAN, FORMER IRANIAN POLITICAL PRISONER SAYS
Khamenei made the remarks during a public address Saturday, blaming the U.S. for the unrest and violence and saying some protesters died “in an inhuman, savage manner.”
U.S.-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that more than 3,000 people were killed over roughly three weeks of unrest, though Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll and other estimates have been higher.
Videos authenticated by BBC Persian and BBC Verify show Iranian security forces firing on demonstrators during the unrest.
Trump told Politico on Saturday that “it’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” after being read a series of hostile posts from Khamenei’s X account accusing the president of responsibility for the violence.
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“What he is guilty of, as the leader of a country, is the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before,” Trump said, according to Politico. “Leadership is about respect, not fear and death.”
Read Wallace’s full letter to the WEF below (App users click here)
Trump’s leadership creates ‘rare opportunity’ for change in Iran, former Iranian political prisoner says
Former Iranian political prisoner Navid Mohebbi said President Donald Trump’s strong stance in confronting the government of Iran has presented a rare and potentially historic opportunity for change, as protesters challenge what he described as one of the world’s most brutal governments.
Mohebbi argued that the scale of unrest inside Iran, combined with U.S. leadership he believes has already demonstrated a willingness to stand up to Tehran, has placed the country at a turning point, with consequences for Iran’s future, U.S. national security and global stability.
“What’s happening right now is a historical test, not just for Iran, but for the entire world,” Mohebbi said Saturday on “My View with Lara Trump,” arguing that Trump’s actions in the coming days could change the course of history.
EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE REVEALS 6-STEP PLAN TO EXERT PRESSURE ON TEHRAN’S REGIME
“This is one of those moments that, in my opinion, will be written about for generations to come,” he added. “I think President Trump’s legacy is on the line here as well, and in the best possible way. I think his administration has a rare opportunity to redefine America’s global leadership by standing up with the people that are begging for freedom.”
He said Trump faces a rare, legacy-defining opportunity to both stand with Iranians seeking freedom and advance U.S. interests by “weakening a regime that funds terrorism, destabilizes the Middle East and threatens… global security, including President Trump’s life.”
IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER ACKNOWLEDGES THOUSANDS KILLED AS TRUMP CALLS FOR NEW LEADERSHIP: REPORTS
Mohebbi alleged that millions of Iranians had taken to the streets and that security forces had killed “more than 12,000 and up to 20,000 people.”
The U.S.-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that more than 3,000 people were killed over roughly three weeks of unrest, though Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll and nationwide internet shutdowns have made independent verification difficult.
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Mohebbi pointed to Trump’s past confrontations with Tehran, including the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani and more recent strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
“Today, Americans can really see why that mattered. If a regime is capable of slaughtering 20,000 of its own people, you can only imagine what it would do with a nuclear weapon.”
Iran’s supreme leader acknowledges thousands killed as Trump calls for new leadership: reports
Iran’s supreme leader has publicly acknowledged for the first time that thousands of people were killed during recent anti-government protests, according to reporting from the BBC, as President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric and called for new leadership in Iran.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the remarks during a public address Saturday, blaming the U.S. for the unrest and violence and saying some protesters died “in an inhuman, savage manner,” the BBC reported.
The protests, which began in late December over economic conditions, later expanded into calls for an end to Iran’s ruling system.
U.S.-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that more than 3,000 people were killed over roughly three weeks of unrest, though Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll.
According to the BBC, nationwide internet shutdowns have made independent verification difficult, with connectivity dropping to roughly 2% of normal levels, citing data from cyber monitoring group NetBlocks.
A ‘TEAR DOWN THE WALL’ MOMENT IN IRAN WILL DAMAGE BOTH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC — AND CHINA
Videos authenticated by BBC Persian and BBC Verify show Iranian security forces firing on demonstrators during the unrest.
Trump told Politico on Saturday that “it’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” after being read a series of hostile posts from Khamenei’s X account accusing the president of responsibility for the violence.
“What he is guilty of, as the leader of a country, is the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before,” Trump said, according to Politico. “Leadership is about respect, not fear and death.”
TOP IRANIAN GENERAL THREATENS TO ‘CUT OFF’ TRUMP’S HAND OVER POTENTIAL MILITARY STRIKES
Trump went further in personal terms, telling Politico, “The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people.”
“His country is the worst place to live anywhere in the world because of poor leadership,” Trump added.
Trump has previously urged Iranians to continue protesting and “take over institutions,” saying that “help is on its way,” according to Politico. The president later said he had been informed that the killings had stopped.
“The best decision he ever made was not hanging more than 800 people two days ago,” Trump told Politico, when asked about the scope of potential U.S. military action.
In a series of X posts, Khamenei accused Trump of responsibility for the violence, writing, “We find the US President guilty due to the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted upon the Iranian nation.”
In another post, Khamenei claimed, “The US’s goal is to devour Iran.”
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Trump has said in recent days he was looking at “very strong options,” including possible military involvement.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Lindsey Graham speaks against pending execution of 26-year-old Iranian protester: ‘This regime must fall’
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is calling for the end of the Iranian regime amid ongoing protests and as the country holds its breath to see whether a 26-year-old protester will be executed, something President Donald Trump has said could trigger U.S. intervention.
“I read with great sadness and heartache about the pending execution of Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old shopkeeper. He is facing death at the hands of the ayatollah simply for protesting in the street for a better life. His family is calling on the world to come to their son’s aid,” Graham wrote in a post on X along with an article about Soltani.
“I hope and pray that the execution does not go forward and this young man does not forfeit his life because he wants to live in freedom without fear,” the senator added. “This regime must fall, and the Iranian people must have a better life.”
Graham said that he believes if the regime falls and the “murderous ayatollah running Iran” is gone, the impact on the region “would be incredibly positive.” He also warned, however, that if Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were to remain in power, it would be “a giant step backward into the darkness.”
LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS FOR US TO USE ‘ANY MEANS NECESSARY’ TO STOP THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE KILLING OF IRANIANS
Soltani’s story has spread in recent days as the unrest in Iran continues.
The 26-year-old was arrested in Fardis and was sentenced to death after an expedited trial, according to ABC News, which cited Soltani’s second cousin, Somayeh.
“As someone who is an activist myself and who has fought this regime for many years, I felt it was my right — and my duty — to be Erfan’s voice outside the country despite all the pressure and sanctions that fall on families,” Somayeh, who is based in Germany, told ABC News.
Iranians began protesting in late December amid worsening economic conditions. Earlier this month, the regime instituted a nationwide internet blackout, blocking demonstrators from contacting each other or the outside world amid international fears that protesters would be met with violence and death.
TOP IRAN PRAYER LEADER WHO DUBBED PROTESTERS ‘TRUMP’S SOLDIERS’ CALLS FOR EXECUTIONS AMID ONGOING UNREST
On Jan. 2, just days after the protests erupted, Trump said the U.S. was “locked and loaded” and ready to take action if the regime used violence against demonstrators. One day after the threat was made, the U.S. captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, adding weight to Trump’s words, though no known action has been taken yet.
Trump claimed Wednesday the administration was told “on good authority” that the killing in Iran had stopped.
“We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping, and it’s stopped and stopping, and there’s no plan for executions or an execution,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “So, I’ve been told that on good authority. We’ll find out about it.”
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On Friday, he seemed to double down on the idea that the regime had stopped using violence when he issued a Truth Social post saying Iran had canceled over 800 scheduled hangings.
“I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The fate of Soltani remains unclear, as does the prospect of U.S. intervention in Iran.
Former Iranian prisoners reveal torture horrors as regime kills protesters on sight during crackdown
As protests spread across Iran and security forces intensify their crackdown, former political prisoners are warning that what is visible on the streets represents only a fraction of the violence unfolding behind prison walls.
In interviews with Fox News Digital, three former detainees described a system designed not just to punish dissent, but to break it through solitary confinement, beatings, medical neglect and threats of execution.
Their accounts span nearly two decades, from the 2009 uprising to the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement and the current wave of unrest, pointing to what they describe as a consistent and escalating pattern of abuse.
Maryam Shariatmadari, one of the faces of the “Girls of Revolution Street” protests against Iran’s mandatory hijab laws, was sentenced to one year in prison in March 2018 for what authorities described as “encouraging corruption by removing her hijab.”
IRANIAN STUDENT SHOT IN HEAD AT CLOSE RANGE AMID PROTESTS, BODY BURIED ALONG ROADSIDE
Speaking this week, Shariatmadari said the scale of the current protests has pushed the regime beyond its capacity to detain demonstrators.
“According to the testimonies of eyewitnesses, the suppressive forces of the Islamic Republic … are delivering ‘final shots’ to wounded protesters, killing them on the spot,” she said. “This has been unprecedented over the past 47 years and indicates that the number of detainees has become so large that the Islamic Republic no longer has the capacity to hold them and is killing them without any form of trial.”
She said that while detainees in earlier uprisings were transferred to prisons or unofficial “safe houses,” authorities expanded detention during the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests to schools, ambulances and food transport vehicles.
“They used ambulances and food transport vehicles to detain protesters, something I believe to be unprecedented in human history,” Shariatmadari said.
IRAN PROTESTS SPARK REGIME SURVIVAL QUESTION AS EXILED DISSIDENT SAYS IT FEELS LIKE A ‘REVOLUTION’
She described systematic abuse Inside detention centers.
“These include beatings, transfers to prisons without separation based on the type of offense and the deliberate incitement of other inmates to harass and abuse us,” she said.
One of her most traumatic experiences occurred during interrogation.
“I was ordered to remove my clothes and remain completely naked for a body search while cameras were present,” Shariatmadari said. “I knew that men were watching me, and I could hear their voices.”
She also recalled being denied urgent medical care after an injury.
“Only after approximately 24 hours was I taken to a hospital to undergo surgery,” she said. “I believe this happened as a result of media pressure and public support.”
IRAN FLIPS ‘KILL SWITCH’ TO HIDE ALLEGED CRIMES AS DEATH TOLL RISES AMID PROTESTS
Eight hours a day, blindfolded
Shariatmadari’s husband, Mehdi Ghadimi, a freelance journalist who worked with reformist newspapers Etemad and Shargh, was arrested in January 2023 during protests and taken to an undisclosed location. He spent nearly his entire detention in solitary confinement.
“I was interrogated twice daily, morning and afternoon, for eight hours with my eyes blindfolded,” Ghadimi said.
In the final days of his detention, he was transferred to a shared cell, where he encountered detainees from across Iranian society.
“I encountered students, workers, technical specialists and others who had been arrested during the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement,” he said.
According to Ghadimi, detainees accused of supporting the Pahlavi dynasty were beaten more severely.
“Because their slogans and symbols supported the Pahlavi dynasty, they were beaten far more than the others,” he said.
Based on his experience, he warned that current detainees are likely to face even harsher treatment.
“I can only imagine that this time all detainees will face similarly brutal treatment,” Ghadimi said, adding that Iran’s judiciary chief has publicly signaled a hard line.
Ghadimi, who fled the country in 2024, also cited figures circulating among activists claiming well over the 2,600 detainees reported, likely dwarfing that number. He said the number of detainees is likely far higher than the 10,000 reported.
IRAN REGIME SAID TO UNLEASH HEZBOLLAH AND IRAQI MILITIAS AS UPRISING SPREADS
“On the other side of those bars is hell”
Shabnam Madadzadeh, who was imprisoned during the 2009 uprising, said watching the current protests has revived memories of extreme brutality and raised fears of mass executions.
“What immediately comes to my mind is the regime’s sheer brutality in torture and killing,” Madadzadeh said.
She said detention centers were already overflowing during the 2009 protests.
“There was no space left for detainees. Even the solitary cells were overflowing with people,” she said.
Madadzadeh recalled interrogators accusing nearly everyone arrested of links to the Mujahedin-e Khalq and described torture and beatings “to the point of killing.”
One threat made during her interrogation still haunts her.
“He told me, ‘If we are going to be overthrown, we will kill all of you. We will leave no one alive,’” she said.
She warned that the current internet blackout has heightened the danger for detainees.
“We truly do not know what level of brutality is currently taking place inside the prisons,” Madadzadeh said, adding that information reaching her suggests the regime is seeking to carry out executions quickly.
Citing Iran’s past, she warned of the risk of mass killings similar to the 1988 executions of political prisoners.
“Today, at a moment when the regime is on the brink of collapse, there is a real danger that such a massacre could be repeated,” she said.
Madadzadeh said young detainees are likely facing forced confessions, mock executions and threats of sexual violence.
“Whatever I do to you, no one will hear your voice,” an interrogator once told her, she recalled.
She also emphasized the suffering of families searching for loved ones.
“Families are moving between detention centers, prisons, morgues and cemeteries,” she said. “This uncertainty itself is the greatest form of torture.”
As the protests continue, all three former prisoners said the outside world must not look away.
IRANIAN REGIME TARGETING STARLINK USERS IN BID TO SQUASH LEAKING PROTEST FOOTAGE
“The first thing I expect the free world to understand is the true voice of the people inside Iran,” Shariatmadari said. “The people of Iran are united in their demand for regime change and want to restore Iran to its former dignity, a dignity in which human rights and human worth were respected.”
Ghadimi echoed that warning.
“Without a doubt, when the regime displays such open violence in the streets, even worse atrocities occur behind prison walls,” he said. “I can only imagine that this time all detainees will face similarly brutal treatment.”
For Madadzadeh, the danger is immediate.
“The world must respond decisively to this brutality,” she said. “Every minute of delay costs lives.”
She called for international action.
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“Force the regime to allow independent visits to prisons and to the secret detention centers run by the IRGC and the Ministry of Intelligence,” Madadzadeh said. “Lives depend on it.”
Together, their testimony paints a stark picture of Iran’s prisons as the hidden front line of repression and a warning that what remains unseen may be even more deadly than what is already visible in the streets.
Jeb Bush heaps praise on Trump’s ‘unprecedented support’ for Iranians 10 years after heated primary
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush credited his former political foe President Donald Trump‘s “historic leadership” on pushing for a denuclearized and democratized Iran, saying that his current organization — United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) — stands ready to help Trump and the people of Iran against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
With Trump’s emergence into presidential politics in 2015, he found his top rival in the former Florida governor, notably dubbing him “Low-Energy Jeb” — as the Republican scion hit back that the mogul could not “insult his way to the presidency.”
This week, détente appeared to emerge between the two as Bush heaped praise on Trump’s position after the president urged Iranian “patriots [to] keep protesting.”
EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE APPEALS TO TRUMP AS IRAN PROTESTS MARK ‘DEFINING’ MOMENT
“Take over your institutions. Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday.
“President Trump continues to demonstrate historic leadership on Iran, with unprecedented support for the Iranian people as they face bullets for freedom. We at UANI join him in standing with the brave people of Iran.”
Bush leads UANI alongside former Ambassador Mark Wallace, the ex-husband of MS-NOW host Nicolle Wallace and a key diplomat in Bush’s brother’s White House.
FREED IRANIAN PRISONER SAYS, ‘IN TRUMP, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC HAS MET ITS MATCH’
“UANI applauds President Trump’s unprecedented support of the people of Iran as they fight to reclaim their country,” Bush and Wallace said in a statement.
“For far too long, the United States and the West have equivocated in expressing support for the people of Iran in the face of the Ayatollah’s violence and repression.”
“President Trump’s post made clear that no longer will the United States and the West lack the moral clarity to support the people of Iran as they face bullets for freedom. That change is historic.”
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Trump has been praised for taking a harder line than recent presidents against Iran, cancelling talks with Tehran leaders after reports surfaced that they were shooting and killing protesters in the streets.
“UANI joins with President Trump and stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against the Ayatollah,” Bush and Wallace added.
Their group is a nonprofit, nonpartisan one, formed to combat threats posed by Iran.
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The tenor between the two Republican stalwarts is a marked change from the turbulent 2016 sweeps.
At the time, Trump often mocked Bush for his family’s involvement in the race, reportedly saying, “Your mom can’t help you with ISIS” after former first lady Barbara Bush cut a campaign ad for her son.
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“Donald is great at the one-liners,” Bush quipped during a 2015 debate. “But he’s a chaos candidate.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on the two leaders’ new common ground.
On Iran, a senior administration official said the administration supports the people of Iran against the regime’s continued human rights abuses and authoritarian repression, and that the regime is one of the world’s worst violators of human rights, oppressing its people to maintain its grip on power.
Khamenei calls Trump a ‘criminal,’ blames him for deadly protests sweeping Iran
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday lashed out at President Donald Trump, labeling him a “criminal” and accusing the U.S. of orchestrating unrest that has erupted into the deadliest protests in decades.
“The latest anti-Iran sedition was different in that the U.S. President personally became involved,” Iranian media quoted Khamenei as saying, per Reuters.
The statement is the latest Iranian government rhetoric blaming the U.S. for contributing to instability in Iran, with Tehran singling out Trump as a central figure in what it calls foreign-driven unrest. The regime has also been pointing fingers at Israel.
Protests have raged in Iran since late December, initially over economic problems but rapidly expanding into widespread anti-regime demonstrations. Demonstrators have been met with severe crackdowns by security forces.
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Human rights groups say thousands of protesters have been killed in the unrest. Reports from various groups say Khamenei was responsible for a crackdown that killed thousands of protesters. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists in Iran on Friday put the death toll at 3,090.
The number, which exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution, continues to rise.
Meanwhile, Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi told Bret Baier on “Special Report” on Monday that a minimum of 12,000 people were dead.
Trump has expressed support for Iranian protesters and talked about regime change, while some Republican lawmakers have openly urged Trump to consider military action.
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The president said on Tuesday that he had cut off meetings with the Iranian regime, saying there would be no contact until the government stops killing protesters. He also urged the Iranian people to “take over” the country.
When asked if Arab and Israeli officials “convinced” him to not strike Iran, Trump told reporters Friday that he convinced himself and cited the canceled hangings.
Trump also expressed similar sentiments on social media Friday.
“I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been canceled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Friday.
It is unclear whom Trump spoke to in Iran to confirm the state of any planned executions. The statement echoes what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday about the canceled executions. She maintained that all options remained on the table when it comes to dealing with Iran.
“What I will say with respect to Iran is that the president and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences,” Leavitt told reporters Thursday. “And the president received a message as he revealed to all of you and the whole world yesterday that the killing and the executions will stop. And the president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted.”
It’s unclear from Trump’s post if he was referring to the 800 executions that were already canceled or whether there have been two consecutive days when 800 executions have been called off.
Meanwhile, a sermon by Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami carried by Iranian state radio sparked chants from those gathered for prayers, including: “Armed hypocrites should be put to death!”
Khatami, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts and Guardian Council long known for his hardline views, described the protesters as the “butlers” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “Trump’s soldiers,” according to The Associated Press.
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He said Netanyahu and Trump should await “hard revenge from the system.”
“Americans and Zionists should not expect peace,” the cleric said.
Georgian demonstrators watch Iran closely as their own protests grind on
While thousands of Iranians take to the streets daily demanding the downfall of the Islamic Republic, people in the small European country of Georgia, along Russia’s southern border, have been protesting at various levels of intensity for over a year following disputed parliamentary elections in 2024.
Everyday Georgians who are still braving freezing temperatures and allegations of violence by the authorities are looking at their peers fighting for democracy in Iran and seeing their own struggle playing out against a corrupt and unpopular regime.
“When you walk through the demonstrations every day in Tbilisi, all people talk about is Iran. The heated debate over it shows how much it matters and how optimism is out on the streets due to developments despite controversies,” Tinatin Khidasheli, former defense minister of Georgia, told Fox News Digital.
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“Developments in Iran resonate in a very human way: if people can challenge a far more despotic and violent regime, it reinforces the belief that resistance in Georgia is not futile,” Khidasheli added.
Mass protests began shortly after the pro-Russia Georgian Dream party claimed victory in elections in October 2024 and halted Georgia’s efforts to join the European Union.
Georgians have long desired to move closer to the West and join the European Union, with opinion polls showing overwhelming support for joining the bloc. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze halted Tbilisi’s accession path to join the EU shortly after taking power, sparking anger from many.
Tbilisi’s main Rustaveli Avenue has been crowded with protesters chanting and blocking traffic, outraged at the ruling party pulling Georgia away from Europe and closer to a Russian-oriented foreign policy.
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Erekle Koplatadze, a 33-year-old from Tbilisi, has been participating in protests almost daily since November 2024. Koplatadze, who was detained for six days for allegedly blocking a road while protesting in November 2025, told Fox News Digital that there has been a feeling of solidarity with the protests in Iran since people rose up in December against economic mismanagement and regime corruption.
“You will see many Lion and Sun flags (Iran’s national flag until the 1979 Islamic Revolution) in front of Georgia’s Parliament. And there have been protests in front of the Iranian Embassy in Tbilisi,” Koplatadze said.
Koplatadze said the news coming out of Iran and the regime’s brutal violence employed against innocent people has shaken many Georgians in the crowd and a shared sense of empathy has emerged.
“I don’t remember such a big protest in Tbilisi in support of a foreign nation except for Ukraine,” he said.
Ana Riaboshenko, co-founder of the “Initiative Culture For Democracy” who attends protests on a regular basis, told Fox News Digital that developments in Iran directly affect Georgia, as well as all the countries in the region.
“Its transformation from a terrorist state to a democratic government will significantly change the situation and indeed contribute substantially to the global power balance and economy. A particularly positive outcome is expected with the collapse of the Russian-Iranian partnership.”
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Riaboshenko pointed out that Russian-backed Georgian Dream representatives positioned themselves as partners with Tehran and bilateral relations and cooperation have increased since the rigged elections of 2024.
Civic IDEA, a Georgian NGO, issued a report in July 2025 detailing how Iranian businessmen and companies use Georgia as a strategic transit point to evade international sanctions and channel funds back to Iran.
Nearly 13,000 Iranian companies are registered in Georgia, according to the Civic IDEA report.
Marika Mikiashvili, Foreign Secretary of party Droa, part of the largest democratic alliance in Georgia, spoke to Fox News Digital and said while Georgians are in awe and very inspired by the bravery of Iranians, their struggle is a warning sign as much as it is profoundly inspiring.
“Many protesters see Iran as a cautionary tale of what happens when a consolidating dictatorship isn’t defeated soon enough,” Mikiashvili warned.
There have also been no statements of support for the pro-democracy protests from the Georgian Dream government or condemnation of security force human rights violations against innocent people.
As the Georgian Dream government entrenched itself in power, it implemented harsh anti-demonstration laws to crack down on dissent and used disproportionate force and other brutal tactics to squash the unrest.
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Human Rights Watch documented numerous laws that interfered with Georgians’ rights to peacefully assemble, including steep fines for protest-related violations and abusive police tactics as thousands of people have been arbitrarily detained.
Since Georgian Dream’s election, 600 people have been arbitrarily detained, 300 protesters were tortured or subjected to inhumane treatment, 1,000 citizens received fines for political opinions, and 400 journalists have been arrested, beaten, and harassed, according to Transparency International Georgia, a non-governmental organization with the goal of combating corruption in Georgia.