Iran’s wartime hunt for protesters ushers in a new era of repression

Key Points:

• Iran's government has intensified its crackdown on dissent following mass protests in January 2025, with thousands detained, at least 34 executed, and a coordinated campaign by security forces, judiciary, and state media to instill fear among protesters and their families.
• The crackdown extends beyond Iran's borders, targeting dissidents abroad through threats to family members, freezing assets, passport cancellations, and harassment by Iranian diplomats in countries like Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia.
• Trials of protesters are often closed-door, fast-tracked, and based on forced confessions, with legal experts noting a significant increase in political executions compared to previous years and restrictions on independent legal defense.
• State media and judiciary outlets collaborate closely to broadcast confessions and promote propaganda labeling protesters as terrorists and collaborators with foreign enemies, reinforcing the government's narrative amid ongoing US and Israeli military strikes.
• The repression has created a pervasive climate of fear, with many activists forced into exile facing isolation and intimidation, while families of detainees endure constant pressure and uncertainty about their loved ones' fates.