Iranians in Yerevan Protest Deadly Crackdowns and Communication Blackouts at Home

Protests continue to spread among Iranians inside and outside the country as anger grows over reports of deadly crackdowns, mass arrests, executions, and a near-total shutdown of communication across Iran. In Yerevan, Armenia, Iranian citizens gathered near the Iranian Embassy to raise awareness of what they say is a humanitarian crisis unfolding in their homeland.

The Armenian Report was present near the Iranian Embassy in Yerevan tonight, where protesters spoke openly about the situation in Iran, describing violence on the streets, fear for loved ones, and years of repression under the current regime. Many said they had not heard from family members for days due to internet and phone blackouts imposed by authorities.

The demonstrations come during renewed unrest in Iran, where protests have repeatedly erupted over political repression, women’s rights, economic hardship, and the role of the Islamic Republic at home and abroad. Iranian authorities have frequently responded to past protests with force, arrests, executions, and restrictions on media and internet access.

One protester described what they say is happening right now inside Iran, claiming peaceful demonstrations have been met with live gunfire and communication blackouts.

“So right fnow, people wanted to have a protest, peaceful protest, but the government has started shooting people directly on the streets. And not only that, they have cut off the internet. Currently, all of us, we cannot communicate with our own families for five days. I haven't heard from my family for five days. And they're slaughtering people on the streets. They turned off the light of the street so that no one can see and so that they can kill people more easily. So this is what's happening currently in Iran.”

The protester said the demand of the demonstrators is clear and focused on ending decades of oppression.

“Our request is very clear. We don't want this current regime to continue. This regime must go. Fourtyseven years, they have been oppressing their own people. They have been killing their own people. Their rules are against human rights. Women are oppressed and minority religions, minority-based, ethnicities are oppressed.”

The protester also accused the government of using national resources for foreign conflicts while citizens suffer.

“And all the money and all the resources of the country, it goes to support terrorism. So we don't want this to continue. We want peace in our country. We want the freedom of choice. And also we want the peace for the Middle East and the whole world.”

Several protesters stressed that political differences should not distract from what they describe as an urgent crisis.

“Currently, there are different political views. We don't want to focus on that because that's a distraction. When these Mullahs leave, then we will decide what kind of government we want.”

Another protester spoke about briefly reaching family members through alternative satellite internet after days of silence.

“A friend of mine was able to connect through Starlink the other day, and I was able to hear my parents' voice for five seconds. They told us to be strong and be their voice.”

This protester said the issue goes beyond Iran and is about basic human dignity.

“I'm telling you, it's no longer about Iran. It's about humanity. It's about dignity. It's about human life on planet Earth. This is not merely about Iranian people asking or demanding something. This is about humanity.”

Another Iranian protester warned of rising death tolls and the lack of reliable information due to communication blackouts.

“They are killing more people in Iran, and they  cut the internet, the calling, the connection. For five days, they cannot make a connection in Iran. The protesters on the street, they are killed. Till now, they are killing 2,000 people in the street. And we don't have any news about our families, our friends in Iran.”

The protester said people outside Iran are trying to act as a voice for those trapped inside.

“We are coming here. We want to say we are from outside in Iran. We are the voice from inside, the people from out. We need all the voice, they are listening, the Persian and Iranian voice.”

A fourth protester, who recently moved to Armenia, described years of arrests and fear under Iran’s strict laws.

“I am Iranian. I have recently moved to Armenia, and I have been arrested by this regime multiple times for many different reasons. We have no kind of freedom.”

She described being detained over dress code violations and other daily activities.

“I got arrested multiple times for showing part of my hair… If they arrest me again, they're going to execute me. They have executed multiple people for that.”

She also described executions, censorship, and economic collapse.

“You cannot say anything. You cannot make jokes… We have no economy. We cannot have any welfare.”

The protester rejected claims that the unrest is driven by foreign actors and said Iranians have been protesting for decades.

“It's not the last time. It's not the first time. At least nine times we have took to the streets. Thousands have died every time they do it. Every time they shut internet down, the telephone down.”

She expressed fear for her family and anger over what she called silence from the international community.

“I'm dying here because of my family. I don't know if they're alive or not.”

The protester also described the reported execution of a young protester.

“Tonight, they're going to execute a young boy without a trial. Erfan. His name is Erfan.”

She called the situation a genocide and urged governments, including Armenia’s, to speak out.

“By any means, by any definition, it is a genocide.”

Throughout the protest near the Iranian Embassy in Yerevan, demonstrators repeatedly stressed that they distinguish between the Iranian people and the ruling system. Many said they believe Iran’s future should be decided through a referendum and free elections after the current regime ends.

As protests continue, Iranians abroad say they will keep gathering, speaking, and sharing testimonies, hoping their voices can reach a world they believe is not fully seeing what is happening inside Iran.

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