\n<\/p>\n
Widespread protests erupted across Iran on 28 December 2025, initially ignited by a catastrophic collapse of the national currency. However, what began as demonstrations against currency devaluation has evolved into calls for fundamental political change. Authorities imposed an <\/span>internet shutdown<\/span><\/a> one week ago, creating a near-total communications blackout that has <\/span>severely restricted documentation of ongoing events<\/span><\/a> and potential violations. Limited information continues to emerge through Starlink connections, but the flow of verifiable evidence has been dramatically curtailed.<\/span><\/p>\n As of January 29, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) had verified 6,479 deaths<\/a> firsthand. Other credible reports from medical workers in Iran and a government official from the Ministry of Health place the estimated death toll at over 30,000<\/a>. This disparity reflects the systematic obstacles to documentation created by communications restrictions and reported intimidation of victims and their families. Protests have been documented across all provinces, involving diverse segments of Iranian society, while security forces continue to employ violent suppression tactics.<\/p>\n The nationwide i<\/span>nternet blackout <\/span><\/a>imposed on 8 January 2026 is more than a<\/span> technical cut-off.<\/span><\/a> In a moment of mass protest, connectivity becomes a vital channel for people to speak, organise, and share their experiences with the world. By severing access to the global internet and phone networks, the authorities have silenced voices inside Iran, isolated families from one another, and made it far harder for abuses to be documented and seen beyond the country\u2019s borders. Iranian authorities have also targeted satellite internet services like Starlink, which many people have been using to bypass the blackout. Reports indicate that the government has deployed <\/span>military-grade jamming equipment <\/span><\/a>that has significantly disrupted Starlink connectivity. Many families and communities are locked out of contact with loved ones. Medical professionals are reporting catastrophic injury patterns, <\/span>including hundreds of gunshot wounds<\/span><\/a> to eyes and heads, signaling a disturbing escalation in the tactics used against civilians.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Iran communications blackout highlights a critical gap: we need <\/span>humanitarian mechanisms<\/span><\/a> that protect documentation capacity independent of state control. Whilst Starlink has shown satellite internet\u2019s potential during shutdowns, its vulnerability to state jamming, physical confiscation, need for smuggling and high prices reveals the limitations of current solutions. We\u2019re pushing for <\/span>technological advances<\/span><\/a>\u2014particularly <\/span>direct-to-cell satellite internet<\/span><\/a>\u2014that can operate beyond the reach of authoritarian interference. The ability to witness and document violations cannot remain something governments can simply switch off. As documentation becomes essential for accountability, connectivity during crises must be treated as a humanitarian imperative, with infrastructure that divests this fundamental right from state control.<\/span><\/p>\n At the same time, state actors are attempting to discredit independent documentation by dismissing protest footage and voices as manipulated or artificially generated. Our Deepfake Rapid Response Force is already helping <\/span>partners verify footage of the crimes<\/span><\/a> of the state against protesters by ensuring the claim of AI does not discredit the footage.<\/span> Statements by officials claiming that protest videos, chants, or images are \u201cAI made\u201d <\/span><\/a>seek to erase trust in authentic accounts of events, a tactic that undermines truth and accountability worldwide. As the WITNESS\u2019 Associate Director for Technology Threats and Opportunities Mahsa Alimardani <\/span>wrote in the Atlantic<\/span><\/a>: \u201cthe liar\u2019s dividend redounds to the regime more than anyone else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n This combination of violent repression, internet blackout, and skepticism of authentic evidence forms a powerful tool of control. It not only threatens individual rights but also jeopardizes the ability of human rights defenders, journalists, and everyday people to document violations that may amount to crimes under international law. Without reliable documentation, patterns of abuse risk being obscured, denied, or misrepresented. Yet these records are precisely what justice mechanisms and truth-seeking efforts rely on in the aftermath of conflict and repression.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At WITNESS, we understand documentation as more than a record of events. It is the ground on which truth is defended and justice becomes possible. Videos, images, and testimonies carry lived experience, collective memory, and evidence that can endure long after violence subsides. When states move to silence those who document, they are not only restricting information. They are actively trying to shape what can be known, remembered, and held to account.<\/span><\/p>\n The crisis in Iran reminds us that truth can be isolated, obscured, or attacked. <\/span>Beyond internet censorship, this erosion of trust creates lasting uncertainty about what can be proven, believed, or remembered<\/span>. Such tactics blur the line between genuine documentation and misinformation, enabling powerful actors to avoid scrutiny. But dismantling truth does not erase what has happened,\u00a0 it only increases the urgency to safeguard evidence that can withstand distortion, doubt, and time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This moment tests our collective commitment to human rights, truth, and accountability. While documentation plays a vital role in exposing abuses and preserving evidence, no image or testimony is worth a life. Communities and individuals must always prioritize their own safety and security when deciding whether and how to document.<\/span><\/p>\n We stand in solidarity with all those who continue to bear witness under extraordinary pressure, whether by recording, preserving, or protecting the truth in quieter ways. Even when voices are forced into silence, reality does not disappear. History shows that repression may delay justice, but it cannot erase it.<\/span><\/p>\n In contexts marked by digital censorship, surveillance, and internet shutdowns, the need to preserve evidence and document ethically becomes especially urgent. In response to these global challenges, WITNESS publishes publicly available guidance intended to support safer and more resilient documentation practices in constrained environments. These resources are designed to help documenters think through risks, protect sensitive material, and strengthen the long term integrity of evidence, wherever such conditions arise. Some of this guidance is available <\/span>in multiple languages<\/span><\/a>, including <\/span>Farsi<\/span><\/a>, to help ensure broader accessibility. Below are some resources in Farsi that may be especially urgent:<\/span><\/p>\n These resources include practical steps for preparing devices for offline documentation, securing verifiable images and video while connectivity is interrupted, and navigating digital risks common in authoritarian environments. They are tools that help protect not just data, but the dignity and safety of the people behind each recording.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Widespread protests erupted across Iran on 28 December 2025, initially ignited by a catastrophic collapse of the national currency. However, what began as demonstrations against currency devaluation has evolved into calls for fundamental political change. Authorities imposed an internet shutdown one week ago, creating a near-total communications blackout that has severely restricted documentation of ongoing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7033996,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12022],"tags":[30326,1180,34711,17962,8045,1112,5477],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7033994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-activist","tag-documentation","tag-fight","tag-irans","tag-shutdown","tag-silence","tag-stand","tag-truth"],"yoast_head":"\nWITNESS Resources<\/strong><\/h3>\n