Iran commander says US bases would be targeted if Iran is attacked

More than 90 Iranian artists, writers and cultural figures based abroad issued an urgent statement condemning the widespread killing of protesters in Iran and warning that detainees could face execution.

In the statement, the signatories said independent sources indicated that thousands of people had been killed during the protests that began earlier this month.

“Based on information published by independent sources, thousands of people have lost their lives in these protests,” the statement said, citing reports of the use of lethal force against demonstrators and the violent suppression of peaceful rallies.

The group said thousands of people, mostly young, had been detained, adding that there were serious concerns about their treatment and legal status.

The statement said the main fear was that detainees could face charges such as terrorism, espionage or waging war against God - offenses that can carry the death penalty under Iran’s laws, especially in cases where there is no access to fair trials or transparent legal processes.

The authors said past precedent and recent warnings by judicial officials about “swift and severe” action raised the risk that heavy sentences, including executions, could be carried out quickly.

They described the killing of unarmed protesters and what they called arbitrary arrests as signs of systematic violence and serious violations of basic human rights, including the right to life and freedom of expression.

The signatories urged the international community, human rights groups, international organizations and independent media to respond urgently, warning that the lives of thousands of detainees were at serious risk.

The head of the foreign affairs committee of Estonia’s parliament called on Western countries to support the Iranian people against what he described as mass repression by the country’s rulers.

Marko Mihkelson said in a post on X that the West needed to defend itself not just “in words but also in deeds,” linking support for Iranians with broader global security challenges.

“It is critical that the West defend itself not only in words but also in deeds,” he wrote. “Central to this is the West’s will and capacity… to help the Iranian people resist mass terror perpetrated by an Islamist dictatorship.”

Mihkelson said how Europe responded would shape its role in a changing global order.

“This will determine the role Europeans will play in shaping the renewed world order,” he wrote.

Witnesses told Iran International that elderly women and men were among those killed during a violent crackdown on protests in the city of Malayer, in Iran’s western Hamadan province.

According to the accounts many families were forced to bury their dead quietly and without public funerals.

The source said security forces held at least 35 bodies and demanded large sums of money from families in exchange for returning them.

Witnesses told Iran International that security forces prevented injured protesters from receiving medical care at a private clinic in Gilan province in northern Iran during demonstrations earlier this month.

According to the accounts, a doctor in the province had earlier said on social media that he was ready to offer free services such as first aid, stitches and wound care to those hurt in protests.

The witnesses said that on the day of the demonstrations, intelligence agents arrived at the clinic and ordered the doctor to stop seeing patients.

After a brief argument, the agents stayed outside the clinic and told people bringing injured protesters that it was closed, the witnesses said.

The account said the doctor was not allowed to leave the clinic until late at night, effectively keeping him inside.

As a result, many wounded protesters in the area were unable to receive treatment.

Iran’s intelligence agency in the western province of Kermanshah said it had detained 54 people it described as key figures in recent protests.

In a statement carried by state media, the provincial intelligence office said three people were arrested whom it accused of links to exiled militant groups, while others were detained over alleged ties to monarchist groups, Israel and armed groups.

Iranian authorities often describe protesters and opposition figures as being linked to foreign powers or militant groups.