Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi on Friday warned security forces in the Islamic Republic could be preparing to commit a “massacre under the cover of a sweeping communications blackout” after imposing a nationwide internet shutdown.
The internet shutdown is “not a technical failure… it is a tactic,” the veteran campaigner, who now lives in exile, said on her official Telegram account.
She said she had received information that hundreds of people had been taken to a Tehran hospital on Thursday with “severe eye injuries” caused by pellet gun fire.
Protests have taken place across Iran for 13 days in a movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living that is now marked by calls for the end of the clerical system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the pro-Western shah.
An internet blackout implemented by the Iranian authorities during the protests has now lasted 24 hours, internet freedom monitor Netblocks said.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
“It has now been 24 hours since Iran implemented a nationwide internet shutdown, with connectivity flatlining at 1% of ordinary levels,” the organization said on X.
Iranian Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi speaks during a ceremony to celebrate International Women’s Day, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France on March 15, 2023. (Photo by Frederick FLORIN / AFP)
In a separate statement, Amnesty International said the “blanket internet shutdown” aims to “hide the true extent of the grave human rights violations and crimes under international law they are carrying out to crush” the protests.
Iran’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology said the decision to shut down the internet was made “by the competent security authorities under the prevailing circumstances of the country.”
International phone calls were also blocked.
Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights said at least 51 protesters, including nine children under the age of 18, have been killed by security forces and hundreds more injured.
The demonstrations represent one of the biggest challenges yet to the Islamic Republic in its over four-and-a-half decades of existence.
Is accurate Israel coverage important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day during the past two years of war and rising global anti-Zionism and antisemitism, our journalists kept you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fact-based coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So we have an ask for this new year of 2026: express your values by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel