HOMA (Alliance for Iranian LGBTQI+ Justice) is deeply concerned by reports of ongoing protests in Iran and the escalation of violence in several cities. Since Thursday, 8 January, internet access has reportedly been cut off nationwide, with additional reports indicating disruptions to mobile phone services, effectively severing access to communication and information across the country.
Reports from different parts of Iran point to alarming levels of violence, including arbitrary arrests, the killing of protesters, and the detention of individuals, including children. These acts have been carried out in the context of gatherings and protests that have been predominantly peaceful, raising serious concerns about the safety of protesters and the broader civilian population.
As HOMA has previously documented, internet access in Iran is not merely a tool for communication for LGBTQI+ persons. It is often the primary means through which individuals can access information, seek support, and express their identities, even under pseudonyms, in an environment where being openly LGBTQI+ is criminalized and socially dangerous. Each day of the nationwide internet shutdown further isolates this community and exacerbates already precarious living conditions, cutting off access to support networks, mental health resources, and safe spaces for connection.
HOMA is particularly concerned that, in the context of the current protests, patterns of repression documented during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests may be repeated. In its most recent report on violations committed during the 2022–2023 protests, the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran found that protesters were subjected to cruelty on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. The Mission documented that security forces sought to identify and detain individuals whose appearance, including their gender expression, made them more visible, and that LGBTQ+ persons were arrested on intersecting grounds of their political opinions and their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, including for posting online or displaying symbols associated with the LGBTQ+ community, such as rainbow or transgender pride flags.
Given this documented pattern of targeting during previous protest cycles, HOMA is deeply alarmed by the current situation and the heightened risk faced by LGBTQI+ individuals during periods of intensified repression and mass arrests.
HOMA calls for an immediate end to the use of excessive force against protesters, an end to arbitrary detentions, and the immediate restoration of nationwide internet and communication services. The ongoing repression must be halted, and the safety and fundamental rights of all individuals, including LGBTQI+ persons, must be protected without discrimination.
Homa 