05 February 2026 :
February 5, 2026 - IRAN. Day 40 of the Protests: 6,941 confirmed deaths, 11,630 under review
Domestic Reactions, Continued Arrests, and Forced Confessions
Based on HRANA’s aggregated data up to the end of the fortieth day since the start of the protests, the total number of recorded protest-related incidents has reached 675 locations across 210 cities in 31 provinces. During this same period, the number of confirmed deaths has been reported as 6,941, including 6,495 protesters, 171 children, 214 military–government forces, and 61 civilian non-protesters. In addition, 11,630 cases remain under review. The number of seriously injured civilians stands at 11,021, the total number of arrests at 50,921, student arrests at 109 cases, forced confessions at 307 cases, and summonses at 11,047 cases.
On the 40th day since the start of the protests, on the one hand, we witnessed domestic reactions, particularly from professional guilds and cultural figures, to the bloody crackdown, and on the other hand, the continuation of arrests, summonses, and security pressures in various cities. Reports also indicate an increase in forced confessions and threats against detainees.
Domestic Responses to the Protests: Condemnation Statements and Public Figures’ Withdrawals as an Act of Protest
In the days leading up to the fortieth day, a significant portion of domestic reactions took the form of statements, formal appeals, and professional and trade-based positions.
One of the most notable domestic stances was announced by Ayatollah Bayat Zanjani, who, in a symbolic and protest-oriented act, declared that he had refrained from holding Mid-Sha’ban celebrations and ceremonies in solidarity with the families of those killed during the January protests. Due to his religious and social standing and the timing amid rising fatalities, this position received wide public attention and was interpreted in the public sphere as a clear message opposing the crackdown.
In the cultural sphere, withdrawals and refusals to participate in the Fajr Film Festival continued. In the latest instance, it was reported that Amir Jadidi had also declined to attend the festival. The continuation of this trend is seen as a sign of a widening rift between segments of the artistic community and official institutions, a divide that had become increasingly visible through multiple waves of withdrawals in recent days and that persisted on the fortieth day.
Forty-eight attorneys also issued a statement condemning the crackdown. The statement emphasized issues such as detainees being denied access to independent legal counsel, expedited judicial procedures, restrictions on contact and visits, pressure to extract confessions, and the broadcast of televised confessions, warning of systematic violations of due process rights. At the same time, a lawyer publicly criticized bar associations, stating that these bodies had failed to respond effectively or pursue the situation of detained lawyers. In this context, the arrest of at least 22 lawyers in connection with the protests was highlighted. This criticism focused specifically on the “distance of professional institutions from the crisis” and their “lack of active defense of members,” once again bringing issues of lawyers’ job security and the right to independent defense to the forefront.
Additionally, in East Azerbaijan Province, more than 40 lawyers affiliated with the Bar Association had been summoned by the Judiciary’s Intelligence Protection Office, and cases had been opened against some of them. These actions were reportedly linked to their support for protesters’ rights, under charges such as “propaganda against the system” and “spreading false information.” Observers view these summonses as part of an organized effort to restrict legal defense networks in protest-related cases.
At the political level, a member of the parliament’s presiding board called for the inclusion of “education on peaceful protest” in the national education system. This proposal took on a dual significance amid the ongoing crackdown: on the one hand, it implicitly acknowledged the continued reality of protests, and on the other, it represented an attempt to offer a more “controlled” and lower-cost approach to dealing with social unrest.
In this context, the Coordination Council of Teachers’ Trade Associations announced that the number of students killed in the suppression of the protests has exceeded 160, a figure that, alongside the publication of name lists, illustrates the heavy human toll of the crackdown. In contrast, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Education stated that all detained students had been released. Given the reported death toll and repeated accounts of arrests, this claim was met with public skepticism and, by some observers, interpreted as an effort to manage public opinion.
A group of sociologists inside the country also commented on the violence and repression, emphasizing that preserving human life takes precedence over any political expediency. These positions, alongside professional statements, indicate that the protests are no longer merely a street phenomenon but have become a broad and pervasive public issue spanning education, culture, law, and social analysis.
Detentions, Mass Summonses and Forced Confessions
On the 40th day, reports indicate that arrests and security measures remained one of the main axes of developments, both in the form of individual arrests with named detainees and in the form of widespread arrests and summonses.
According to HRANA’s aggregated data, the total number of arrests has reached 50,921, alongside 11,047 recorded summonses. In the academic sphere, the number of arrested students has been reported as 109, indicating that universities continue to be among the sensitive focal points for security crackdowns. The number of forced confessions has also reached 307 cases.
HRANA’s reports from the fortieth day refer to the arrest of seven citizens in connection with the protests, among them a 16-year-old minor. It was also reported that two minors were arrested in Chabahar, one of whom had been injured in the leg by gunfire from law enforcement–security forces prior to arrest. In other cases, the name of Mohammad Baghjari was reported as a detainee in Sabzevar; according to reports, he was beaten at his workplace. The situation of Sattar Goharifar (a student) in Greater Tehran Prison was also highlighted as an example of uncertainty and limbo in detention. Another report referred to the arrest of three citizens in Isfahan and Rudsar, noting that they are being held in Doulataabad/Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan and Lakan Prison in Rasht.
Alongside these individual cases, reports of broader arrest campaigns were also published, including references to the detention of at least 57 citizens in North Khorasan and Astaneh Ashrafieh in connection with the protests. Other media reports have spoken of a much larger scale of arrests, including estimates of tens of thousands detained and even summonses/arrests approaching 100,000 people or more in recent weeks. These figures are considered difficult to verify precisely due to deliberate ambiguity in case registration, lack of responses from responsible institutions, and the disorientation imposed on families.
Meanwhile, reports concerning the broadcast of forced confessions and concerns about their consequences have increased. Families and activists say these confessions are extracted under pressure and torture and could pave the way for heavy sentences, including the death penalty. At the same time, multiple warnings have been issued about the risk of torture and forced confessions in conditions where the high number of arrests and summonses has severely strained families’ ability to pursue legal remedies and access information.
On the fortieth day, signs of crackdowns were also observed in professional and medical sectors. It was reported that students at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences continued their multi-day sit-in protest against the crackdown and the situation facing medical staff.
Statistics
Protest-Related Incidents
- Total number of locations across cities: 675
- Number of cities: 210
- Number of provinces: 31
- Total protesters killed: 6,495
- Including minors: 171
- Military/government forces: 214
- Non-civilian, non-protesters: 61
- Total confirmed deaths: 6,941
- Cases under review: 11,630
- Injured civilians: 11,021
- Total arrests: 50,921
- Student arrests: 109
- Forced confessions: 307
- Summonses: 11,047
Summary
On the 40th day, we witnessed an increase in cumulative statistics related to the protests. Notable developments included positions taken by religious, legal, and cultural figures, as well as the continued arrests, summonses, and forced confessions.
