Concerns Over Iran’s Internet Blackout and Human Rights Violations

Amidst a tight internet blackout in Iran, voices are rising about the regime’s brutal actions against its citizens. An Iranian-American, Sheila Amir, recently highlighted how this near-total communication shutdown is obscuring widespread executions. She told the Post that the blackout, which has persisted for 1,000 hours now, is a tool for the government to enforce its grip on power.

“They’re controlling what comes in and out, and they’re executing people en masse,” Amir stated, suggesting that the situation is dire. She also pointed out, “They are masters of propaganda,” emphasizing the regime’s ability to manipulate information and silence dissent.

Life for many inside Iran has become increasingly oppressive; the government has prevented free communication among citizens. Following the January riots, which resulted in the deaths of over 7,000, and with many more under scrutiny, Amir lamented, “This is a mass of human rights violations. They are executing people under this blackout.” Notably, Vice President J.D. Vance was involved in talks in Pakistan aimed at potentially ending the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Amir’s remarks paint a grim picture: “The administration is literally going up and down the street, sending signals and using devices to track and eliminate people. It’s like murder is happening right under our noses, yet no one is paying attention to it.”

While the regime decorates its veneer of control with “white cards” for supporters, these come with heavy state surveillance, further curbing any hope of genuine freedom. Some incidents, like the execution of a young champion wrestler, 19-year-old Saleh Mohammadi, have managed to break through the oppressive silence, whereas over 14 people were reportedly executed on political charges in the first weeks of the war.

Reports indicate that the Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, and Iranian human rights organization Hengau hinted at 160 hangings just since January. Amir, who is deeply connected to both Iran and the U.S. military, shared that members of the Iranian diaspora have courageously smuggled evidence of these atrocities, risking their own safety to expose the truth.

Meanwhile, families are facing heartbreak, with the Karizac coroner’s office swamped with searches for missing relatives amid the regime’s harsh crackdown. “It’s exhausting when your government constantly inflicts psychological and physical terror on you,” Amir noted, referring to the pervasive fear under the regime, while also asserting that “no one buys into it.”