Iranian Women Speak Out Against Brutal Crackdown
- Iranian protesters gather on Enghelab (Revolution) Street during a demonstration in Tehran, Iran, on jan.
- The death toll from ongoing protests in Iran has surpassed 6,000, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
- With a recent partial lifting of the internet and dialogue blackout, more videos of violence and death are emerging from the country, and more Iranians are speaking out...
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Iranian protesters gather on Enghelab (Revolution) Street during a demonstration in Tehran, Iran, on jan. 8, 2026. toggle caption
Sohrab/Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images
Sohrab/Middle East Images / AFP via getty Images
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The death toll from ongoing protests in Iran has surpassed 6,000, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
With a recent partial lifting of the internet and dialogue blackout, more videos of violence and death are emerging from the country, and more Iranians are speaking out about their experiences.
Over the past few weeks,an NPR producer reached out to several people in Iran to share their stories.Many were terrified by the brutal government crackdown and wouldn’t allow us to record their voices.
Eventually,three women agreed to speak,wanting the world to know what’s happening in iran,but only if we protected their identities. Here are their stories:
On Jan. 8, an unemployed content creator left her home in Karaj, a suburb of Tehran, and joined the protests.
She had heard Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah, was calling for a general strike.