New report finds Iranian civilians trapped between military conflict and intensified state repression, with mass arrests, executions, and internet blackouts deepening the crisis.
A new report by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran warns that the country’s worsening human rights situation could amount to crimes against humanity, as civilians become increasingly trapped between military conflict and escalating state repression.
The warning accompanies the mission’s latest report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council, covering the period from April 2025 to February 18, 2026. Investigators say that long-standing patterns of repression in the Iranian regime have intensified amid the ongoing regional tensions following military strikes involving the United States and Israel and retaliatory actions by Iran.
According to the mission, the convergence of armed conflict and systemic state repression has placed Iranian civilians in an unprecedentedly vulnerable position. Investigators warn that the situation could deteriorate further unless all parties involved in the conflict strictly adhere to international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
Protection of Detainees a Major Concern
The fact-finding mission says it is actively collecting evidence on the impact of the conflict on civilians and how existing patterns of repression have intensified during the current crisis. Particular concern has been raised over the safety of detainees, whose vulnerability increases significantly during periods of armed conflict.
The report notes that communication blackouts imposed by Iranian authorities have compounded these risks. Internet shutdowns have isolated citizens from the outside world, preventing them from accessing critical information about nationwide attacks or contacting family members inside and outside the country.
Similar communication disruptions occurred during the June 2025 conflict between Iran and Israel and again during protests that erupted in December 2025. Investigators warn that the current shutdown, which began on February 28 and has continued for more than two weeks, follows a troubling pattern in which authorities restrict digital access precisely when public scrutiny is most needed.
Evin Prison Attack and War Crime Allegations
The mission also examined events during the June 2025 escalation between Iran and Israel. Based on the evidence gathered, investigators concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe the Israel Defense Forces committed a war crime by deliberately targeting a civilian site during an airstrike on Evin Prison in Tehran on June 23, 2025.
Approximately 80 people were killed in the strike, including at least one child and eight women.
At the same time, the report found that Iranian regime authorities failed to adequately protect detainees before, during, and after the attack. Some prisoners were forcibly transferred to other facilities under violent conditions, including beatings with firearms. In several cases, families were denied information about the whereabouts of their relatives for months, raising concerns about enforced disappearances.
Despite the attack and the risks faced by detainees, the Iranian regime has reportedly not released any prisoners from Evin Prison or taken sufficient measures to guarantee their safety. Investigators stress that similar military strikes on detention facilities must not occur again due to the serious danger posed to detained protesters and other civilians.
Intensified Crackdown on Protests
The report further highlights how longstanding patterns of repression have evolved and deepened in recent months, particularly following nationwide protests that began on December 28, 2025, in response to worsening economic conditions.
Security forces reportedly used lethal force on a large scale, including assault rifles and heavy machine guns, leading to numerous deaths and injuries. Many victims suffered severe eye injuries caused by metal pellet ammunition.
Investigators concluded that these human rights violations appear to have been widespread and systematic.
During the December protests, authorities imposed a nationwide internet blackout lasting roughly 20 days. The fact-finding mission warned that the ongoing shutdown mirrors this earlier tactic, suggesting that Iranian authorities are increasingly using digital restrictions to conceal abuses and suppress dissent.
Mass Arrests and Pressure on Civil Society
Following the end of the June 2025 conflict, the Iranian regime intensified its crackdown on civil society and further restricted civic space.
Regime authorities announced that more than 21,000 “suspects” had been detained in connection with the conflict. Many were reportedly arrested at checkpoints or during home raids without legal justification. Those detained included journalists, lawyers, and social media users who had merely called for peace.
The report also documents continued discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, including arbitrary arrests of members of the Baháʼí community solely because of their beliefs.
Surge in Executions
Investigators recorded an alarming increase in the use of the death penalty in Iran. By the end of 2025, at least 1,639 executions had been reported — a dramatic and unprecedented figure.
Nearly half of the executions were linked to drug-related offenses, and many convictions relied on confessions allegedly obtained through torture.
Credible reports indicate that many detainees face serious risks of torture, ill-treatment, and enforced disappearance. Some prisoners are also being subjected to expedited execution proceedings that violate fair-trial standards and the right to life.
Women Targeted and Transnational Repression Expands
The report stresses that harassment and persecution of women and girls remain a central element of state policy. Women continue to face harassment and sometimes physical violence for refusing to comply with mandatory veiling laws.
Officials have publicly labeled opponents of compulsory hijab as “enemies,” while describing women who refuse to wear the veil as suffering from psychological disorders or engaging in harmful behavior.
The regime has also failed to address the rising number of gender-based killings. Approximately 176 femicides were reported in 2025 alone.
Investigators further documented cases of women dying in detention due to lack of medical care, with no official investigations conducted.
Beyond Iran’s borders, the report warns of an expanding pattern of transnational repression. Iranian nationals and dual citizens abroad have reportedly faced assassination attempts, digital threats, and intimidation through the harassment and interrogation of their family members inside Iran.
The report also criticizes the forced deportation of Afghan women and girls, individuals from Iran to Afghanistan, calling the practice a clear violation of the international legal principle of non-refoulement.
Growing Alarm
The fact-finding mission concluded that the combination of armed conflict, systematic repression, and widespread human rights violations has created a rapidly deteriorating situation in Iran. Without urgent international attention and accountability, investigators warn, the crisis risks escalating into crimes against humanity.
