Over 36,500 killed in Iran's deadliest massacre, documents reveal

Summary of reported findings: Iran International’s Editorial Board says it reviewed newly obtained classified IRGC and government documents, field reports, hospital accounts, witness statements and family testimony that indicate a large-scale, coordinated security crackdown on nationwide protests on January 8–9, 2026. The outlet reports that IRGC intelligence reports presented to the Supreme National Security Council listed death tolls rising from 12,000 to 27,500 and then to more than 36,500 in successive classified submissions. Reports allege extrajudicial executions (including of detainees and wounded patients in hospitals), use of lethal force across more than 400 cities and 4,000 clash locations, forced payments for body release ('bullet-fees'), deployment of IRGC, Basij and non-local proxy forces, and the firing of gas/agents producing unusually severe respiratory and neurological symptoms. Witnesses and medical staff described security forces removing wounded from hospitals and finishing them with headshots; images from morgues show monitoring equipment and tubes still attached to some bodies. The article documents international responses (sanctions on senior Iranian officials), diaspora protests, and the effects of a near-total internet blackout that has impeded independent verification. Rights organizations (Amnesty, IHRDC, CPJ) cited widespread arrests, reported torture, enforced disappearances, and evidence concealment. The piece also highlights media manipulation by state broadcasters, use of digital manipulation, and calls for submission of evidence to document the events.