Kermanshah, the epicentre of suppression: Eyewitness accounts describe blood-stained corridors at the forensic institute and secret night-time burials.
As the wall of censorship begins to crumble and internet connectivity trickles back in, a specialised report by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has revealed an unprecedented atrocity that occurred during the January 2026 uprising. Verified documentation reveals that the state’s crackdown claimed the lives of 240 Kurdish citizens across Iran, with Kermanshah(Kirmaşan) serving as the grim heart of the slaughter.
Kermanshah(Kirmaşan): A Killing Field for Protesters
Of the 240 confirmed fatalities, 81 individuals were killed in Kermanshah(Kirmaşan) Province alone. Reports from the nights of 8th and 9th January depict a scene of total urban warfare. Eyewitnesses describe IRGC snipers positioned on rooftops and plain-clothes operatives firing from civilian vehicles, systematically targeting the heads and chests of young protesters.
Those who managed to enter the Kermanshah Forensic Medicine Institute in search of their loved ones described scenes of horror: ‘Dozens of bodies piled on the floors’ and corridors ‘literally drenched in the blood of the victims’.
Children and labourers: Targets of Direct Fire
Among the deceased were 20 children under the age of 18, some of whom were simply trying to earn a meagre living on the streets. The report emphasises that the majority of the victims were from the working class and the Yarsan religious minority, many of whom were executed via direct, point-blank gunfire.
A Rising Toll
These figures are being released while dozens of other cases remain under investigation. Human rights advocates warn that the death toll is likely to rise significantly once communication channels have been fully restored and more families have come forward.