Iran Internet Shutdown: Rising Deaths & Protests Fuel Crisis

Iran’s internet blackout continues for a third week, despite a brief restoration of service, according to a digital rights watchdog. A state-aligned news agency claims internet access will be restored by tonight.

Iran Internet Blackout Persists

“Iran’s Internet blackout continues into its third week, despite a brief momentary restoration,” Netblocks, a digital rights watchdog and connectivity monitoring organization, said on January 24. Online platforms are occasionally whitelisted, and some users have been able to circumvent restrictions over the last couple of days using VPNs or other tools.

The Fars news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), quoted the chief of Iran’s telecoms company on January 24 as saying Internet service would be restored in the coming hours, an action approved by the Supreme National Security Council.

“God willing, this issue will be resolved today or tomorrow,” Behzad Akbari, chief executive of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Company, was quoted as saying.

Yusef Pezeshkian, a government adviser and son of President Masud Pezeshkian, called for the Internet to be brought back online, stating that keeping the Internet shut down will create dissatisfaction and widen the gap between the people and the government.

Iran’s near-total nationwide digital blackout – ongoing since January 8 – is thought to be one of the longest in history. Only Sudan’s complete shutdown following its October 2021 coup, which lasted about 25 days, is known to have lasted longer.

Human rights groups say Tehran’s move to cut access to the Internet was intended to conceal human rights violations by Iran’s security forces and limit protesters’ ability to organize and resist, while severely restricting the flow of news and making independent verification of information difficult.

According to the US-based human rights organization HRANA, the number of fatalities in the recent protests has risen to 5,137 confirmed deaths with more than 7,400 “severely injured.” As of January 24, HRANA said that the number of deaths still under investigation is 12,904.

An umbrella body of independent teachers’ unions in Iran published a list of at least 29 schoolchildren it says were killed in the crackdown. The council said it published the names and images of these children based on reports from trusted networks and reliable sources, and that the list will be updated gradually. HRANA previously reported confirming the deaths of at least 54 minors.

Separately, Pramila Patten, UN special representative on sexual violence, expressed concerns about “disturbing” reports of sexual abuse in the context of political unrest in Iran. Such acts, she said, may amount to crimes under international law. Reports of possible sexual violence related to the protests are impossible to verify due to the Internet shutdown. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) reported that a number of detained persons were subjected to sexual abuse in Kermanshah.

Amnesty International reported in 2023 that “security forces in Iran used rape and other forms of sexual violence…to intimidate and punish peaceful protesters” during the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising.

On January 24, the US State Department’s Persian-language account on X shared a video of President Donald Trump. When asked about Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump said “I don’t want to get into that,” but added, “They know what we’re looking for,” and warned against seeking to set up other advanced nuclear facilities.