2025 Protests: 16 Arrests, Over 30 Injured, and Violent Suppression of People in Kermanshah and Ilam

In January 2026 (Dey 1404), a wave of popular protests emerged in Iran due to dire economic conditions and severe inflation, which continued in the provinces of Ilam and Kermanshah. These protests were primarily peaceful and guild-based, including strikes by bazaar merchants and non-violent street gatherings. This report, focusing on the provinces of Ilam and Kermanshah up to January 1, 2026, addresses the status of arrests, the injured, and the violent crackdown on peaceful assemblies.

During these protests, at least 16 people were arrested and more than 30 were injured. Video evidence and field reports indicate that repressive forces utilized methods including pellet gun fire, tear gas, and raids on vehicles against protesters.

Arrests:

According to news published by Kurdpa and information confirmed by reliable sources over two days (December 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026), the identities of at least 16 detainees in three cities within Ilam and Kermanshah have been verified by Kurdpa, with details as follows:

Dehloran / Ilam: 11 Kurdish citizens named Akbar Darvishi, Aref Darvishi, Mohammad Havasi, Sepehr Salehi, Amir Raoofi, Ehsan Maleki, Milad Kiyadi, Farzad Shokri, Abolfazl Shadfar, Moein Maleki, and Yazdan Bakhti were arrested on December 31, 2025, during raids on their homes by Law Enforcement Forces. After being taken to Police Station 11 of Dehloran, they were transferred to Ilam, and until that time, there was no information regarding their whereabouts or fate.

Darreh Shahr / Ilam: On Thursday, January 1, 2026, two Kurdish citizens from Darreh Shahr in Ilam province, named "Mohammad Hassanvand" (21 years old) and "Bizhan Karimian" (21 years old), were arrested by security forces and transferred to an unknown location.

Abdanan / Ilam: On the evening of Thursday, January 1, 2026, "Mohammad-Javad Zarei," a Kurdish citizen from "Murmuri" (a suburb of Abdanan in Ilam province), was arrested by security forces and transferred to an unknown location.

Tehran: "Iman Ali-Moradi" (33 years old), a Kurdish citizen from Abdanan in Ilam, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on Thursday, January 1, 2026, and transferred to an unknown location.

Kermanshah: On the evening of Thursday, January 1, 2026, "Ali Najafi," a citizen of Kermanshah, was arrested by security forces and transferred to an unknown location. Simultaneously, state media reported the arrest of 7 individuals in Kermanshah.

Injured:

Ilam: According to an informed source speaking to Kurdpa, dozens of people in the cities of "Dehloran," "Abdanan," and "Darreh Shahr" have been injured by pellet guns. Out of fear of being arrested by security forces, they have refrained from visiting hospitals and clinics.

Kermanshah: An informed source in an interview with Kurdpa regarding the injured in Kermanshah noted that in the cities of "Harsin" and "Eslamabad-e Gharb," at least 8 citizens have been injured so far, and in Kermanshah, more than 10 people have been wounded by pellet guns.

Visual Narrative of Protests in Ilam and Kermanshah

Videos published by Kurdpa of the January 2026 protests in the provinces of Ilam and Kermanshah provide a clear picture of the peaceful nature of the popular protests and, in contrast, the violent suppression by government forces in the cities of Kermanshah, Ilam, Abdanan, Harsin, and Eslamabad-e Gharb.

1) Nature of Protests: Civil, Guild-based, and Peaceful:

Start of Protests with Guild Strikes: Videos from Ilam, Abdanan, Harsin, and Eslamabad-e Gharb show that from December 30 and 31, 2025, protests began with widespread strikes by shopkeepers and bazaar merchants, continuing until January 1, 2026.

Peaceful Street Presence: Footage recorded in Ilam (January 1, 2026) shows citizens present in the streets without violence, expressing their solidarity with the protests through "continuous honking of car horns."

Protest Slogans: In videos from Ilam and Abdanan (January 1, 2026), protesters chant the slogans "Death to Khamenei" and "Death to the Dictator."

Civil Appeal to Law Enforcement: In one video from Kermanshah (January 1, 2026), protesters are seen requesting "support" from the Law Enforcement Forces despite the assembly being peaceful.

2) Repressive Forces' Conduct Toward Protesters:

Firing at Peaceful Assemblies: Videos recorded in Eslamabad-e Gharb (January 1, 2026) show peaceful protesters facing "gunfire" from repressive forces, reacting by chanting the slogan "Dishonorable."

Violent Conduct in Harsin: Confirmed images from Harsin (January 1, 2026) record "continuous firing" by repressive forces toward people in the street.

Raids on Citizens' Vehicles: One of the shocking videos from Abdanan (January 1, 2026) shows an attack by Special Units and plainclothes forces using "batons and gunfire" against moving vehicles.

3) Weapons and Tools Used:

Direct and Targeted Firing: In a video recorded from Abdanan (January 1, 2026), Special Unit forces positioned near the Andimeshk-Dezful Garage are seen firing "directly and purposefully" at the people.

Pellet Guns: Images from Harsin (January 1, 2026) show the use of "pellet guns" by plainclothes forces, the Special Unit, and the IRGC (Sepah).

Tear Gas: In a video related to the bazaar strike in Harsin (January 1, 2026), the widespread firing of "tear gas" toward the people is recorded.

4) Imposition of a Security Atmosphere:

Militarization of Kermanshah City: Images from December 31, 2025, in Kermanshah show the widespread "deployment" of Law Enforcement and Special Unit forces in the streets, creating a completely securitized atmosphere in the city with the aim of instilling fear and terror.

Statements by Government Officials Regarding the Protests

On December 31, 2025 (Iran Economy News Agency), the Attorney General of Iran, while referring to economic pressures and the formation of social protests, warned that any attempt to turn these protests into "tools of insecurity, destruction of public property, or the execution of externally designed scenarios" would be met with a legal and decisive response, and that the boundary between legal protest and criminal acts must be clearly defined.

Regarding Kermanshah, Mehr News Agency reported on January 1, 2026, the arrest of 7 individuals, calling them "individuals affiliated with hostile groups and the foreign-based opposition."

The January 2025 protests began on December 28, 2025 (December 28, 2025), from the Grand Bazaar of Tehran, where merchants closed their shops in response to the fall of the Rial's value, high inflation, and the rising cost of basic goods; this strike quickly escalated into street gatherings. In the following days, protests spread to more than 10 to 15 cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, Karaj, Hamadan, Kermanshah, Ahvaz, Arak, Najafabad, Fooladshahr, Marlik, Izeh, Nurabad Mamasani, Fasa, Yazd, Zanjan, and Qom. The initial nature of the protests was economic and livelihood-based, but gradually in many cities, it turned into criticism of the government's macro-policies and slogans against the system and its leaders.

Compiled by: Awin Mostafazadeh