Iranian pastor: 'The people are not backing down'

Lydia Houghton  |  World
Date posted:  16 Jan 2026
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Iranian pastor: 'The people are not backing down'

Pooyan Mehrshahi

Iranian evangelical pastor Pooyan Mehrshahi says the people of Iran are not backing down, despite thousands having been killed and tens of thousands reported to have been arrested amid the country's protests against the government.

In an update earlier this week, en shared statistics from the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) stating that 490 protesters and 48 security personnel had died in Iran in recent days, with 10,600 reported arrests.

But according to Mehrshahi, that arrest figure has now risen to 18,000 and the death toll is reported to be in the thousands. He details widespread stories of torture, forced confessions, and secret detentions.

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