Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
Iranwire – Tasnim News Agency reported on Sunday, January 11, 2026, quoting the head of the Kurdistan Province judiciary, that people labeled as “rioters” and “protest leaders” had been arrested in several cities across the region. The announcement came as Kurdish human rights groups had already reported widespread arrests of protesters and civil activists in the province.
According to the head of Kurdistan’s judiciary, the detainees are accused of carrying out what authorities described as “sabotage activities” in several cities across the region.
In recent days, Iranian media have repeatedly described charges such as “leadership” of protests to many detainees. This follows a long-standing pattern in the Islamic Republic, where authorities build cases against arrested protesters by using charges such as “leading” demonstrations as a means of repression.
Human rights lawyers have repeatedly warned throughout the protests that fair trial standards are absent in Iran’s judicial system, fueling growing concern about the conditions and fate of those detained.
Under Iranian law, political detainees are denied the right to choose their own lawyer from the moment of arrest.
At the same time, state-affiliated outlets – including Iran’s state broadcaster and Tasnim, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – have aired forced confessions in recent days. Many of those shown are teenagers or very young people, and it remains unclear under what conditions the recordings were made.
Over the past several days, Iran’s judiciary has repeatedly threatened protesters, stressing that it will show “no leniency” toward what it calls “rioters.”
There is still no reliable information on how many people have been arrested during the protests, and with internet access completely cut for the past three days, the situation remains largely hidden from view.
