Leading Actors Voice Support For Protesters
Pantea Bahram, a well-known Iranian actress who ran foul of the authorities after removing her hijab in support of protesters during the Women, Life, Freedom demonstrations two years ago has posted a message of support for the protesters on her Instagram account.
"Because of you, I have been waiting for the light, in my homeland," she said.
As a result of her head scarf protest in 2023, Bahram was banned from any professional activity and says she is not even allowed to teach.
Another prominent actress, Katayoun Riahi has also posted a message of support for demonstrators, saying 'Brave women, brave men, the light is near."
You can read more about both women's brush with Iranian authorities here.
More than 70 Iranian screenwriters have also voiced their support for the protests, emphasizing that their role is to write about the realities of life and that they cannot “remain silent in the face of the hardships that are being imposed on people’s lives more violently every day.”
They warned that “a violent response to these protests is not the solution and will only deepen the problem,” adding, “Security is not achieved by silencing voices, and stability is not achieved by denying reality.”
Meanwhile, Iran's former crown prince, Reza Pahlavi has made a direct appeal to Iran's security forces, saying that they are facing a 'historic choice.' He called on them "to use your weapons not to fire on the people, but to protect them." You can see his full statement with subtitles here:
Good morning. We'll get the live blog rolling this morning with this update:
The head of Iran’s judiciary once has again called those taking part in the ongoing protests "rioters" and threatened that if anyone took to the streets they would be acting "in line with the enemies' goals" and that there would be “no room for any more leniency."
Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei also praised the performance of the police and security forces in confronting the protesters on January 7, claiming that government agents had been tackling demonstrators "with tact," despite killing two people.
In the 10 days since a new wave of anti-government protests in Iran erupted on December 28, human rights sources are reporting that at least 30 protesters have been killed, including teenagers. They have also published images and videos showing that in many cases government forces have been trying to disperse the gatherings by firing directly at the protesters.
Also on January 7, the semiofficial ISNA news agency is reporting that the Iranian parliament has been holding a closed-door session to discuss the country’s economic situation. The latest protests have been triggered by economic grievances as Iran grapples with inflation, a currency collapse, and declining living standards.
We are now closing the live blog for today, but we'll be back tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Central European time with more coverage of events in Iran. Until then, good night and take care.
Gunfire, Blazes Reported In Ilam As Part Of Security Crackdown
Parts of the city of Ilam were the scene of further protests on the evening January 6, with protesters chanting slogans against Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic republic.
In footage shared on social media, security forces and multiple blazes can be seen on the streets and gunfire can be heard.
Protests across Ilam Province in recent days have been met with a violent crackdown by Iranian security forces.
Human Rights Group Puts Iran Protest Death Toll At 27
The Iran Human Rights group announced on January 6 that at least 27 protesters, including five children, have died and hundreds have been injured in the past 10 days of the new anti-government protests in Iran.
According to the organization, which is based in Oslo, the number of people arrested in the recent protests has exceeded 1,000, and reports indicate widespread and mass arrests in cities such as Ilam, Shiraz, Isfahan, Qom and Harsin, and Kermanshah.
According to the report, these protests began on December 28 in response to poor economic conditions in Tehran, and quickly spread to at least 26 provinces and about 80 cities across the country with anti-government slogans. At the same time, students have held protest rallies at more than 20 Iranian universities.
The report said the simultaneous intensification of repression, threats from the head of the Islamic republic's judiciary, and the broadcast of forced confessions by protesters in state media have led to increased concerns about the possibility of issuing severe sentences, including the death penalty, to those arrested.
Iranian Protester Recounts Security Forces 'Shooting Directly' At Crowds
Scores of protesters descended on a two-story building used by the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in a town in western Iran.
As demonstrators chanted antiestablishment slogans and threw stones at the building on January 3, IRGC members climbed on the roof and opened fire on the crowd.
That's according to Mohammad Heydari Ilami, a resident of Malekshahi, Ilam Province, who witnessed the deadly incident. His testimony has been collaborated by human rights groups.
"Those who didn't see them on the roof thought it was an air strike," said Ilami, who spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Farda. "But when some of the people who were shot fell to the ground, people realized they were shooting directly at them."
To read the whole story, click here.
Amnesty Condemns Attack On Ilam Hospital By Security Forces
In a statement on January 6, Amnesty International called the attack on a hospital in Ilam by Iran's security forces on January 4 a "clear violation of international law" and called for an end to the illegal use of force and firearms against protesters and the arbitrary detention of people seeking treatment at the hospital.
An eyewitness told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that during a rally on January 3 in Malekshahi, IRGC forces opened fire directly on protesters, killing and wounding a number of people.
Those wounded during the shooting were transferred to the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam due to the lack of a hospital in Malekshahi. Security forces stormed the hospital on the night of January 3, with clashes continuing through the morning of January 4.
Amnesty International said that the IRGC and special police units surrounded the hospital on Saturday night.
"The officers used shotguns and fired tear gas into the hospital premises, broke the glass doors to enter and beat people inside the hospital, including medical staff," said the statement.
Citing informed sources, Amnesty International said security forces entered the hospital several times and detained injured protesters who were receiving treatment, along with their family members.
Earlier, the US State Department’s Persian account on the X-net had called the attack by Iranian security forces on the Ilam hospital a "crime against humanity."
Security Forces Fire Tear Gas Outside Tehran Hospital
- By RFE/RL
Video footage posted on social media shows security forces firing tear gas at Sina Hospital in Tehran.
Protesters gathered and chanted slogans in the vicinity of the hospital despite the presence of security forces.
Iran Warns It Could Respond Preemptively To US Threats
Iran’s Defense Council has warned that the Islamic republic would not confine itself to responding after an attack by its adversaries.
A statement issued on January 6 by the Defense Council's secretariat did not spell out what such a response might entail, but said Iran considers “tangible signs of threat” to be part of its security calculus and that, within the framework of “legitimate defense,” it does not see itself as limited to post-attack retaliation.
The statement followed comments by the US President Donald Trump, who has twice explicitly warned that Washington would deliver a severe blow to Tehran if Iran’s government killed peaceful protesters.
Trump said on January 3 that Washington was "locked and loaded" to respond if Iranian security forces kill more protesters. He reiterated the threat on January 4, telling reporters that Iran would get "hit very hard" if more protesters die during demonstrations.
These remarks triggered strong reactions from Iranian officials.
Separately, Mohammad Bagher Qhalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, warned that “all U.S. bases and forces across the region would be legitimate targets” in response to any potential provocation.
The Defense Council statement stressed that Iran’s “security, independence, and territorial integrity are inviolable red lines” and that any aggression or continued hostile behavior would be met with a “proportionate, decisive, and determining response.”