Iran’s Deputy Minister of Health for Cultural and Student Affairs announced on Sunday, February 8, 2026, that “nearly 100 university students” were killed during the January protests.
Masoud Habibi, echoing claims made by other Islamic Republic officials, alleged that “foreign and terrorist elements” were responsible for the deaths of many of those killed. Iranian officials continue to deny the role of the country’s security and military forces in the killing of protesters.
Without providing figures on the number of students arrested during the protests, Habibi also claimed that “many of those detained” have been released and that currently “around 8 to 9 students” remain in custody.
Iranian authorities have officially reported the death toll from the recent protests as 3,117 people, while human rights organizations say the actual number of victims is significantly higher. On Saturday, the head of Iran’s Medical Council reported that 25,000 people were injured during the protests.
At the same time, the Coordination Council of Teachers’ Trade Associations announced that its list identifying school students killed in the latest wave of protests has risen to 200 individuals.
The council has also published the names and identifying details of all these slain students in a video released on the social media platform X.
Last week, Amin-Hossein Rahimi, Iran’s Minister of Justice, acknowledged the arrest of children under the age of 18 by Islamic Republic security forces and stated that a number of them remain in detention for the purpose of “investigations.”
