Amnesty International, referring to the Islamic Republic’s “unprecedented and deadly crackdown” on protesters in Iran, has called on the international community to take immediate action to prevent further killings.
In a statement published by Amnesty International Canada on February 11, 2026, the organization said that in response to widespread and largely peaceful protests by people “calling for the fall of the Islamic Republic,” authorities have launched an “unprecedented and deadly” repression campaign.
Amnesty International emphasized the unlawful use of “lethal weapons” by the authorities and the direct shooting of protesters, which has “killed large numbers of civilians and injured many others.” The organization stated:
“We have documented how security forces repeatedly and unlawfully fired military-grade rifles and shotguns loaded with metal pellets at unarmed protesters.”
The statement also referred to the government’s complete and prolonged internet shutdown, which it said was aimed at concealing the scale of the repression and “hiding its crimes.” It described hospitals overwhelmed with injured protesters and families wandering between hospitals and morgues in search of their missing relatives.
Amnesty International further warned of the risk of torture and even death sentences against detainees and urged United Nations member states to take urgent diplomatic measures to “prevent further massacres and address the systematic impunity that fuels bloodshed.”
The organization also called for:
- Convening a special session of the UN Human Rights Council, and
- Holding an emergency meeting on Iran at the UN Security Council to prevent further mass killings and to pursue international criminal accountability, including referring Iran’s case to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Nationwide protests in Iran began on December 28, 2025, and were met with severe and deadly repression by Islamic Republic forces in dozens of cities.
