Iran protests: 450 new martyrs identified, regime declares detaining students linked to PMOI

2026-01-30 - 22:46

The nationwide uprising against the religious dictatorship in Iran continues to shake the regime’s foundations on Friday, January 30, 2026. While the regime’s Minister of Science has openly admitted to the continued detention of students accused of affiliation with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), rebellious youth across the country are intensifying their campaign to dismantle the regime’s apparatus of suppression. Meanwhile, the human cost of freedom continues to rise. The PMOI has released the names of 450 additional martyrs, revealing the brutal extent of the regime’s crackdown on women and children. Despite the repression, support for the resistance grows, with national athletes joining the call for a democratic republic. Live Report Roundup: 1,449 martyrs identified, defiant youth burn banks, and athletes back the resistance On Friday, January 30, the uprising saw significant developments regarding the regime’s internal fears and the resilience of the Iranian people. Key highlights include: Regime Admissions: The regime’s Minister of Science admitted that arrested students accused of being “armed” or having links to the PMOI will not be released, confirming the regime’s fear of the organized opposition. New Martyrs Announced: The PMOI Secretariat announced the names of 450 additional martyrs, including 51 women and 35 children, bringing the total verified death toll to 1,449. Intense Field Clashes: Reports from January 8 to 10 (received with delay due to internet blackouts) detail fierce hit-and-run battles in Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan, where youth blocked roads and torched regime banks and Basij bases. Tehran Protests: Residents of Tehran’s Chitgar district held nightly protests on January 29, chanting “Death to the terrorist IRGC” in response to the European Union’s designation of the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity. Athletes’ Support: Sixty national and world champion athletes issued a statement supporting the uprising and the NCRI’s 10-point plan, calling for the expulsion of regime diplomats. Regime minister confirms detention of students linked to PMOI In a revealing admission of the regime’s crackdown on universities, Hossein Simaei Saraf, the regime’s Minister of Science, confirmed on January 28 that students accused of affiliation with the PMOI remain in detention. While claiming that some students have been released following coordination with the judiciary and the Supreme National Security Council, he explicitly stated that those with “security charges” are excluded from any leniency. Saraf stated, “Some were detained for a few hours, and a number remained... God willing, they will be released, except for those cases where they were armed or had connections with the [PMOI], which are exceptions.” This statement underscores the regime’s continued security approach and its specific targeting of students aligned with the organized resistance. Rebellious youth paralyze suppression machinery in Tehran and Mashhad Due to the severe internet restrictions imposed by the regime, field reports from January 8 to 10 have just been received, revealing a “trench-by-trench” battle between rebellious youth and the regime’s repressive forces. In a series of operations spanning from Tehran and Mashhad to Hamedan and Zanjan, rebellious youth managed to wrest control of streets from the Special Units. Tehran: On January 8 and 9, youth in Tehranpars, Sattarkhan, and Sadeghieh blocked the advance of regime forces by lighting fires. In a daring act on January 9, a Basij base—a center for suppression—was set on fire. Mashhad: Intense clashes were reported in the Vakilabad district on January 9. On January 10, youth set fire to a branch of Sepah Bank, a financial institution heavily linked to the IRGC’s plunder of national wealth. Isfahan & Other Cities: On January 10, youth in Isfahan blocked roads and destroyed a Mellat Bank branch. Similar acts of resistance, including the destruction of surveillance cameras and burning of Special Unit motorcycles, were reported in Arak, Zanjan, Qazvin, and Hamedan. Nightly slogans in Tehran target the IRGC On the evening of Thursday, January 29, coinciding with news regarding the European Union designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the people of the Chitgar district in Tehran took to the rooftops and streets. They chanted slogans reflecting the public’s hatred for the regime’s military apparatus: “Death to Khamenei,” “Death to the terrorist IRGC,” and “Death to the child-killing IRGC.” PMOI releases names of 450 additional martyrs On January 29, 2026, the PMOI announced the names of 450 additional martyrs of the nationwide uprising. This latest list includes 51 women and 35 children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 17. The regime’s brutality knows no bounds, as evidenced by the inclusion of 3-year-old Bahar Hosseini from Neyshabur and an infant, Ali-Mohammad Sadeghi from Isfahan, among the victims. To date, the PMOI has identified 1,449 martyrs, including 176 women and at least 100 children. The verified toll includes 369 martyrs in Tehran province and 187 in Isfahan province. Names of Martyrs of the Iranian People’s Nationwide Uprising Tribute to Resistance Unit Commander Naeem Abdollahi The PMOI also released details regarding Naeem Abdollahi, a 34-year-old Resistance Unit commander and academic who was shot dead by the IRGC on January 8 in Tehran’s Nazi Abad district. Holding a Juris Doctor degree and serving as an assistant professor at Tehran University, Naeem was a key organizer of recent protests. Naeem Abdollahi, 34, a PMOI Resistance Unit commander, was shot dead by the criminal IRGC on January 8 in Tehran’s southern Nazi Abad district. He held a Juris Doctor degree, was a political scientist, and served as an assistant professor at Tehran University. Born in Kermanshah... pic.twitter.com/BST5mcjfqw — People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 30, 2026 In a moving message prior to his martyrdom, Naeem vowed to remain faithful to the path of the 100,000 martyrs of freedom, stating, “How sweet is death when it is wedded to the ideal of Freedom.” Another supporter, 18-year-old Mohammad Bahrami, was brutally killed in Azadshahr on January 6, stabbed by regime agents before being shot. PMOI supporter Mohammad Bahrami, 18, was brutally killed in Azadshahr, Golestan, on January 6, during the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people. In a heinous act, the regime's agents first stabbed and slashed him with knives and machetes before shooting him. Rest in peace.... pic.twitter.com/DAumqv3mZs — People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 30, 2026 60 Sports champions back the uprising and 10-Point Plan In a powerful statement, 60 Iranian athletes and national champions declared their support for the uprising and condemned the “unprecedented suppression” of the people. They called on the international community to designate the IRGC as a terrorist entity and to shut down the regime’s embassies. The athletes expressed their alignment with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the 10-Point Plan of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi for a free, secular, and democratic republic. They also urged Iranians abroad to join the grand demonstration in Berlin on February 7.