The Islamic Republic of Iran must immediately stop the persecution, physical harm, and detention of all medical professionals who are reportedly being targeted for treating people injured during the recent protests, said Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) today.
“Evidence coming out of Iran points to tens of thousands of protesters killed or injured, many by live ammunition, during an unprecedented violent crackdown by the government against the population,” said Sam Zarifi, PHR’s executive director. “Health care workers who are carrying out their ethical and professional obligation to help the injured are also reportedly being targeted.”
Credible reports have emerged of multiple health care workers physically attacked by security forces, and at least five health care workers detained, because they provided medical assistance to protesters injured during the demonstrations. According to the human rights group Hengaw, Dr. Alireza Golchini, a surgeon in the city of Qazvin, has been arrested and faces charges that could result in the death penalty.
In a statement on X/Twitter today, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), confirmed reports of an attack disrupting medical services earlier this month at Khomeini Hospital, in the western province of Ilam, following the transfer of injured protesters to the hospital. Dr. Ghebreyesus also reported that WHO had confirmed damage to multiple health facilities across Iran in recent weeks, including 10 prehospital emergency posts, with more than 50 paramedics injured and over 200 ambulances damaged.
Physicians for Human Rights strongly support last week’s UN Human Rights Council resolution, calling on its Fact-Finding Mission to conduct an urgent, independent, and impartial investigation into allegations of recent and ongoing serious human rights violations and abuses, as well as crimes committed in relation to the protests beginning December 28, 2025. “In light of the well-documented failure of Iranian authorities to protect the rights of those who have been injured as a result of the actions of security forces, it will be necessary to pursue justice and accountability for these grave and systematic crimes, through international mechanisms or through the exercise of universal jurisdiction in other countries,” said Zarifi.
“Despite the significant communication blackout imposed on Iran, evidence regarding the massive scale of the crackdown is now trickling out and there must be no impunity for the extreme violence being inflicted upon protesters and the health care workers tending to them across the country.”
Physicians for Human Rights stands with Iran’s brave health care workers as they strive to uphold their oath to provide medical care to anyone in need. PHR will continue to provide forensic and medical assistance to efforts toward accountability and documentation in Iran as it does around the world.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.