Some statements by social organisations and public figures condemning the January 2026 massacre
Popular and fair trials for all those who ordered and carried out the crimes of the regime
Various labour and social organisations, along with prominent figures of social protest, have issued independent or joint statements condemning the horrific January massacre carried out by the regime and emphasising the need to put on trial all those who ordered and carried out this unprecedented crime. The statements published so far point to the nationwide justice-seeking movement as the gunpowder of the revolution and stress the continuation of this struggle until victory. They emphasise the prosecution of the regime’s leaders and officials for their brutal crimes. These statements demonstrate a growing unity and alignment of powerful social movements across society for the continuation of protests and the revolution. A look at some of these statements offers a clear picture of the current situation in society:
Teachers’ Trade Association of Iran (Tehran) – 31 January 2026
In its statement, the Teachers’ Trade Association of Iran (Tehran) condemned the killing of January protesters and emphasised several urgent demands:
- The authorities must accept responsibility for this large-scale massacre instead of spreading lies, and must end the militarisation of educational environments.
- All detainees — especially abducted and imprisoned students and teachers — must be released immediately and unconditionally.
- We call on global civil society and trade-union and labour activists around the world to show solidarity with the people of Iran in the face of this naked brutality and to carry the voice of Iran’s oppressed people to the world.
Voice of Iranian Women – 31 January 2026
The Voice of Iranian Women, in a statement titled “Shame and hatred upon the government of massacre and killing!”, condemned the criminal January killings of protesters by the Islamic regime and warned:
“We declare that through the power of growing human unity and solidarity, we will stand against the revival of any form of domination and despotism, and we will continue our struggle with firm resolve until the victory of our just demands. We will not retreat. Just as we conquered the trench of compulsory hijab, we will free life and freedom from the domination of force and discrimination.”
Council for Organising the Protests of Contract Oil Workers
and Council for Organising the Protests of Non-Formal Oil Workers – 31 January 2026
In a joint statement titled “We will not retreat before any level of massacre. We are all seekers of justice”, the two organisations strongly condemned the regime’s savage repression and the killing of January 2026 protesters. The statement reads in part:
“We, the workers, stand alongside all the families who have lost their loved ones. We workers and the people are grieving, angry, and united. You hear our cries of rage and protest at the memorials for those who died seeking justice and freedom. These cries are our collective indictment of the massacre you unleashed. You know very well what it means when we stop work and shut off the oil valves. Hand in hand, we strike, protest, and gather to carry our demand for justice to the world. We demand justice for the blood of each and every one of our young people who were brutally cut down by a single order from above. We will stand firm and extract our rights to the very last ounce from the throats of contractors and employers.”
Justice-Seekers’ Organisation – 29 January 2026
In a statement titled “Justice-seeking is the gunpowder of Iran’s revolution!”, the Justice-Seekers’ Organisation condemned the January genocide and the regime’s criminal repression. The statement declares:
“We, the justice-seekers, together with all freedom-loving people, will stand united and steadfast until our last breath to realise the aspirations of our fallen loved ones, to overthrow the ruling dictatorship, to put on trial all those who ordered and carried out every crime, massacre, and nationwide killing, and to dismantle the machinery of dictatorship and criminality. We will not rest, and we will raise the cry of unity and freedom.”
Coordinating Council of Nurses’ Protests – 29 January 2026
“We nurses and healthcare workers declare that we stand alongside and support all the wounded who require medical care in homes or medical centres. We stand united with a people driven to desperation by poverty, inflation, and a livelihood crisis, and we seek justice for the humanity that has been slaughtered within medical facilities and through the violation of patients’ and wounded people’s right to life.”
Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company – 27 January 2026
The syndicate wrote in its statement:
“The authorities must know that mass killings and executions today will not suppress protests and deep social discontent; on the contrary, they will intensify public anger. The least costly path for the people and the country is your immediate removal and the immediate halt to the machinery of killing, repression, and the destruction of the country.”
Statement by the Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Trade Associations of Iran
Condemning the brutal raid by security forces on a hospital in Ilam, the council stated:
“According to reports and published footage, repressive forces carried out a criminal and inhumane assault on a hospital in Ilam. Attacking hospitals, patients, the wounded, and medical staff is prohibited even in wartime, let alone in a government’s confrontation with its own protesting population. Under the Geneva Conventions (1949), hospitals and medical centres enjoy absolute protection. Raiding a medical facility to abduct the wounded constitutes a clear example of organised state crime and a gross violation of international obligations. The Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Trade Associations of Iran strongly condemns this savage act and holds those who ordered and carried it out fully responsible for the lives and safety of patients and medical staff.”
Iranian Writers’ Association – 27 January 2026
The Iranian Writers’ Association warned:
“The massacre of protesters will not block the path to freedom. The Iranian Writers’ Association will, with all its strength, remain the voice of the repressed and freedom-seekers until a popular and fair trial of all those who ordered and carried out the regime’s crimes.”
Statement by 17 Political Activists – 28 January 2026
“The principal responsibility for this horrific situation lies with the leader of the Islamic Republic and the repressive structure of the ruling system — an autocratic structure that has built piles of corpses to survive. We consider it our duty to emphasise justice for the victims and the freedom of all political prisoners. We see Iran’s path to salvation in prosecuting all those who ordered and carried out repression and in putting an end to the non-republican and inhumane system in power.”
Group of Families of Political Prisoners Sentenced to Death – 27 January 2026
“Those who were killed were like our own children. Their only ‘crime’ was saying no to dictatorship, and their slogan was the 120-year-old cry for freedom. Mothers and fathers of the fallen, know that we stand beside you in seeking justice for the blood of your loved ones. Not only us — all of Iran today has raised the red flag of justice-seeking.”
Students of the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran – 25 January 2026
“In a conscious and responsible response to the killing of thousands of protesters in January 2026, and in opposition to the normalisation of violence and efforts to erase this crime from public memory, we will refuse to participate in online examinations. Until the right of students to be physically present at universities is recognised, we will not take part in exams.”
Students of the Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran – 26 January 2026
“In these dark days of our country’s history, we will not take virtual exams. We will stand with our friends in the Faculty of Fine Arts and will not leave them alone.”
Students of Kharazmi University (Karaj Campus) – 27 January 2026
“We, a group of students at Kharazmi University (Karaj Campus), in response to the killing of our compatriots and fellow students, are boycotting online examinations. We consider this boycott an oath sworn on the blood of our fallen comrades. By their blood, we stand firm until the end.”
Students of the University of Gilan
“Silence in the face of organised killing and repression by the regime, and continuous efforts to normalise the prevailing conditions, is a betrayal of the truth.”
Chelcheh-Ma Mountaineering and Cultural Group, Sanandaj
This group issued a statement supporting popular protests and condemning repression and the killing of citizens. It emphasised the immediate end to repression and violence against protesters, the unconditional release of detainees, transparent accountability of officials regarding economic and livelihood conditions, and the recognition of the right to protest and freely express popular demands.
Esmail Bakhshi, prominent workers movement activist
Esmail Bakhshi wrote on X regarding the regime’s crimes:
“Carry this to the ears of the world: we live in a country where a government massacres people protesting poverty, corruption, and inflation in the streets — and the next day holds a ‘celebration of the massacre’ in those same streets with its supporters.”
Reza Khandan, political prisoner, Evin Prison – 25 January 2026
“This was not repression; it was an attempt to break the backbone of the nation. We, along with all citizens, human rights activists, and lawyers, must demand the establishment of a special tribunal to investigate crimes against humanity and to prosecute all those involved in this massacre and repression.”
Masoud Farhikhté, imprisoned teacher – 30 January 2026
This imprisoned teacher and trade-union activist, held in Karaj Central Prison, issued a statement from inside the prison responding to the ‘bloody January’ killings and the deaths of many students and several teachers during the January uprising. In part, Farhikhté described seeking justice for the innocent and defenceless children who were killed as a moral and historical responsibility for trade-union activists and civil organisations, and stressed the need to resist narratives that blame the victims.
Worker-communist Party of Iran
31 January 2026
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