We, a collective of Christian artists and cultural activists, regard silence in the face of one of the darkest and bloodiest chapters in Iran’s contemporary history as a betrayal of truth, humanity, and conscience.

Civilians took to the streets in widespread and peaceful protests demanding freedom, human dignity, social justice, and an end to systemic repression and discrimination; however, they were met with organized, lethal, and unprecedented violence by the Islamic Republic regime.

According to reports published by credible international sources, within just two days (January 8 and 9, 2026), at least 30,000 civilian protesters were killed in streets across the country, and more than 320,000 others were injured. This crackdown has been described as “the most brutal repression carried out by the Islamic Republic regime in its 47-year history.”

Reports indicate that the majority of victims were under the age of thirty, and that pregnant women and children are also among the dead and injured. Furthermore, according to physicians inside Iran, it is estimated that more than 8,000 protesters may have lost their eyesight as a result of direct gunfire by government forces—an alarming figure that points to the deliberate targeting of human beings.

In response to the popular uprising, the Islamic Republic regime has unleashed a campaign of deadly, systematic, and unprecedented repression. The use of live ammunition against unarmed protesters, mass arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, threats against families, and the imposition of severe psychological pressure have all been integral components of this machinery of repression.

The deliberate and nationwide shutdown of the internet and communication networks was not a technical measure, but an organized instrument for concealing crimes, preventing the documentation of truth, and plunging society into what can be described as “digital darkness.”

Tens of thousands of families inside and outside Iran were left for days and weeks without any information about the fate of their loved ones, uncertain whether they were alive or buried in unmarked graves. One physician inside Iran has described this situation as “genocide concealed by a digital blackout,” a phrase that starkly conveys the depth of the catastrophe. The scale of this mass killing within such a short period recalls rare instances of organized atrocity in modern history, including the Babi Yar massacre of 1941, during which 33,000 Jews were murdered by Nazi forces in Ukraine within forty-eight hours.

Reports further indicate that with each passing day, increasing numbers of individuals are being arrested, subjected to torture, and executed.

From the perspective of international law, these actions constitute a clear and systematic violation of fundamental human rights, including the right to life, the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, the right to human dignity, and the right to personal security. This pattern of organized violence against the civilian population clearly amounts to crimes against humanity and cannot be legitimized or justified under any political, ideological, or security-based pretext.

From the perspective of Christian faith, every human being bears the image of God, and any assault on human life, body, and dignity is an assault on fundamental divine and human values. Artists and cultural activists who remain silent in the face of such manifest injustice ultimately deny their own calling and moral responsibility.

We declare our solidarity with the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people and stand alongside them. We grieve in solidarity with the families of those who have been killed, imprisoned, or injured, and with all those whose voices have been silenced by bullets, imprisonment, torture, and censorship. We issue this statement as a clear and unequivocal document of moral, human, and cultural justice-seeking. This position is not rooted in political affiliation, but in Christian faith, ethical responsibility, and the universal principles of human rights in the face of human suffering. It is also a call to break the silence and to stand with the truth.

We state unequivocally that direct responsibility for these killings, acts of torture, and violent repression lies with the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We call upon the international community, human rights organizations, churches, cultural and artistic institutions, festivals, universities, and artists around the world to:

1. Publicly and unequivocally condemn these crimes;
2. Provide sustained and practical support for the Iranian people’s pursuit of justice, freedom, human dignity, and inalienable human rights;
3. Ensure that the normalization of cultural, artistic, athletic, or other relations does not become a cover for concealing crimes against humanity.

History has repeatedly shown that injustice persists not merely through the violence of its perpetrators, but through the silence of those who witness it.

Signatories:
Abouzar Soltani / Andreh Mary / Ojeni Sarkisian / Anita Rameshk / Arash Shokouhi / Banafsheh Behzadian / Beneta Rameshk / Bernadett poolis / Bahar Alizadeh / Behrang Bijani / Behnam Zare / Parisa Kamkar / Javaher Shahin / Danial Alavi / Dariush Sadighi / Rebeka Jaberi / Rafael Borhanifar / Rad Mohammadkhani / Joseph Hovsepian / Gilbert Hovsepian / Soudeh Sharhi /  Siavash Asadolahi / Saeed Manouchehri / Saloumeh Ebrahimian / Saeid Miryaghoobi / Shahab Amini / Dr. Sadegh Nikpour / Alireza Alizadeh / Ali Salahnejad / Faraz Daneshvar / Farzin Fozouni / Kaveh Rafiei / Farbod Rashidfarokhi / Kiarash Alipour / Mousa Rasaei / Marlin Hairapetian / Mojgan Dastfal /  Maryam Takalou / Maral Karaee / Marya Sadighi / Majid Aliei / Dr. Narbeh Cholakian / Dr. Nathan Rostampour / Naghmeh Firouz / Nima Raz / Natasha Jalalian / Vahid Norouzi / Hovan Hovsepian / Hadi Shekari / Yuna Sabet.

For security reasons, the names of 20 artists inside Iran have been withheld.

Christian Artists’ House
Feb 4th 2026