{"id":341611,"date":"2026-01-15T23:01:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T22:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=341611"},"modified":"2026-01-15T23:02:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T22:02:23","slug":"iran-uprising-day-19-irans-regime-imposes-digital-darkness-to-hide-crackdown-as-uprising-spreads-to-200-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-protests\/iran-uprising-day-19-irans-regime-imposes-digital-darkness-to-hide-crackdown-as-uprising-spreads-to-200-cities\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran Uprising Day 19: Iran\u2019s Regime Imposes Digital Darkness to Hide Crackdown as Uprising Spreads to 200 Cities"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Iran
A police vehicle burns on a city street in Iran, lighting up the night with flames and smoke amid unrest\u2014 January 2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the sun set on January 15, 2026, the silence emanating from Iran\u2019s digital sphere marked a grim anniversary: exactly one week of total internet blackout. According to network data, the Iranian authorities imposed a national shutdown 168 hours ago, plunging the nation into “digital darkness.” Yet, despite the regime\u2019s attempt to sever the country from the outside world, information has trickled out, revealing a landscape of defiance and draconian repression. As the nationwide uprising enters its 19th day, protests have now spread to more than 200 cities across all 31 provinces, met by a state security apparatus operating without restraint.<\/p>\n

A Campaign of Mass Arrests<\/h2>\n

In an effort to quell the unrest, the regime has launched a staggering wave of detentions. The People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) announced today that the number of individuals arrested between December 28, 2025, and January 14, 2026, has exceeded 50,000<\/a>. These figures, compiled through detailed investigations in 144 cities and inquiries in 76 others, point to a systematic campaign of terror. Reports from the ground indicate that security forces are conducting surprise raids on homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces to abduct suspected dissidents.<\/p>\n

The scale of the current crackdown appears to rival, if not exceed, previous suppressions. To provide context, on May 6, 2025, the regime\u2019s own Judiciary Chief, Gholam-Hossein Eje\u2019i, admitted\u2014two and a half years after the fact\u2014that approximately 90,000 cases were filed during the 2022 uprising. The current accumulation of 50,000 arrests in less than three weeks suggests an accelerated pace of repression.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, information obtained by the PMOI indicates that over 3,000 protesters have been killed<\/a>. The violence has breached usually sanctified spaces; security forces have been documented entering hospitals to arrest the wounded, denying medical care to those injured by state violence.<\/p>\n

Technological Warfare Against Citizens<\/h2>\n

The clampdown extends beyond physical arrests to the utilization of military-grade technology against civilians. The US State Department\u2019s Persian-language X account reported that the regime is deploying military drones to identify, track, and hunt down peaceful protesters. By treating its own citizens as “enemy combatants,” the regime is waging an asymmetric war on the streets of its cities.<\/p>\n

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According to an announcement by the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK), the total number of arrests and detentions nationwide during the uprising, from December 28 to January 14, has reached 50,000.
Iran\u2019s criminal rulers, determined to preserve the disgraceful\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/YQyqvoaLQL<\/a><\/p>\n

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) January 15, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n