Jan 8th, 2026
The Free Iran Scholar Network (FISN) condemns the Islamic Republic of Iran’s deliberate use of internet shutdowns and severe connectivity restrictions as a tool of repression. These blackouts are not “security measures.” They are operational cover for violence.
When the internet goes dark, the regime creates a killing zone with reduced witness, reduced documentation, and delayed emergency response. In past uprisings and in the current wave of unrest, Iranians have repeatedly reported that the deadliest crackdowns occur during the hours of forced disconnection when families cannot locate loved ones, journalists cannot verify events, and evidence cannot reach the outside world.
FISN calls this what it is: state violence enabled by communications censorship.
What the internet shutdown enables:
• Lethal force without oversight: Security forces can fire on crowds while limiting real-time accountability.
• Evidence destruction: Delayed uploads mean lost videos, altered timelines, and intimidation of witnesses.
• Targeted arrests and disappearances: Activists are isolated while the regime controls information flows.
• Impunity through narrative control: State media fills the vacuum with disinformation and forced confessions.
Global action for digital rights: governments, technology firms, and international institutions must treat connectivity as a human-rights lifeline not a negotiable privilege.
FISN stands with the Iranian people’s right to peaceful assembly, free expression, and a democratic future. Cutting the internet is not a technical disruption it is part of the architecture of repression.