As nationwide protests continue to spread across Iran, verified reports from the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) paint a clear and sobering picture – young women and girls are paying with their lives, once again at the forefront of resistance, and the human cost of repression keeps rising.
The courage of these young people, both men and women, and their visibility on the streets not only reflect the intensity of the movement in the country, they also resonate with Iranians abroad. Their bravery has inspired the diaspora, uniting communities around the world in solidarity and resulting in international gatherings that echo their call for change.
The message will be amplified globally at a major rally in Berlin, on 7 February 2026, where tens of thousands of members of the Iranian diaspora are expected to gather to join their voices with those risking everything at home. The rally will make a powerful statement to the world that Iranian people are united in demanding a democratic, secular, and republic Iran, free from both clerical dictatorship and the return of the monarchy (the dictator Shah).
The risks for protesters
According to documentation published on 4 January, 2026, by the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (WNCRI), women and girls play a leading role in demonstrations across major cities, confronting security forces, organising chants, and refusing to back down in the face of arrest, injury, and the threat of lethal force. Their determination is in part a legacy of the 2022 uprising, where women first became the unmistakable face of nationwide defiance.
Verified videos and eyewitness accounts show women leading chants, “Death to the Dictator” and “We will not be humiliated,” particularly in Tehran, Mashhad, and provincial cities. In Tehran’s Naziabad district, one woman held up a sign reading “I am not a rioter,” rejecting the state propaganda that criminalises peaceful protesters.
Repercussions have been severe. The WNCRI reports that on the seventh day of the uprising at least 17 women and girls have been arrested in various cities. Many of the women in the streets are only in their teens or early twenties, yet despite their young age they stand defiantly against heavily armed security forces, facing imprisonment, injury, and even death.
Such courage underscores both the depth of the anger and determination among Iran’s younger generation and their critical role in shaping the fight for freedom, dignity, and a democratic future.
Arrested and injured
Among those detained are Hasti Karimi, 16, in Mashhad; Saba Mahroomi, 17, Zahra Mahdavi, 17, Soha Davoudifar, 17, and Nazanin Zahra Mousavi, 17, in Sabzevar; Donya Sabouri, 20, and Yekta Dorzadeh, 20, clothing vendors arrested in Mashhad; and Mahsa Zarei, a Kurdish cultural activist detained in Kermanshah.
Others include Fariba Hosseini, a dentist arrested in Shiraz, Mehrsa Maleki, 20, in Khuzestan, and Fa’ezeh Rashidi, who was wounded by pellets and then arrested in Ilam.
University students have also joined the protests in force. Sarira Karimi, a law student and member of Tehran University’s student council, was arrested and later released after calling publicly for student unity against Basij (a volunteer paramilitary faction controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) repression.
Roll-call of those killed
Alongside these arrests and injuries, the confirmed death toll continues to grow day by day – at time of writing, the current death toll is 44. In a statement released by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) at least 44 protesters have been identified by name so far, many killed by live fire from IRGC and security forces.
And in Farsan, a young woman, Saghar Etemadi (22) has very recently been confirmed to have died of her injuries in hospital after she was shot multiple times in the head with pellet guns.
President elect’s message
Mrs Maryam Rajavi the president-elect of NCRI made this statement on the second week of the uprising in Iran:
“Once again … protests have swept across Iran, now entering their second week and spreading to every province.
“Once again, the uprising has claimed the lives of Iran’s youth, beloved children whose sacrifice has strengthened the resolve of a nation.
“Salute to the heroic vanguards of the uprising, whose fall has brought tears to our people’s eyes and pride to our hearts for such a courageous generation. A generation that has cast aside fear and taken to the streets is, without doubt, destined to prevail.”
Misleading videos
At the same time, misleading and manipulated videos are circulated online, often amplified by regime-linked networks in an apparent attempt to divert attention from the reality on the ground and to dilute the movement’s core demands. These tactics stand in sharp contrast to the consistent, cross-verified reporting from human rights groups, protest networks, and independent observers.
What emerges from reliable sources is unmistakable: this is a nationwide uprising and demand for regime change, with young women and girls standing at its centre, paying an extraordinary price for their courage.
Accurate reporting based on verified sources is not optional. It is essential not only to counter misinformation, but to ensure that the voices, names, and lives behind Iran’s protests are not erased.
Within the last 24 hours, the internet observatory, NetBlocks has officially confirmed an internet shutdown, saying”Tehran and other parts of Iran are now entering a digital blackout.” While the source of the shutdown has not been officially confirmed, the regime is known to have instigated similar shutdowns previously.
The fight is for freedom
The slogans heard across Iran’s streets should leave the world in no doubt: Iranian people do not want the current theocratic regime and they reject any return of the former monarchy or the Shah.
To date, three cities have been liberated and the people have taken control.
From Tehran to Mashhad, from Ilam to Lorestan, voices of young women, students, and citizens of all ages have made it clear their fight is for a free, republican, secular, and democratic Iran, not for one authoritarian system to be replaced by another. The chants that ring out are a direct expression of the people’s will, rooted in genuine, homegrown aspirations for freedom and justice.
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