Iranian security forces killed at least 21 artists and cultural workers during a month-long crackdown on nationwide protests that began January 8, 2026. The deaths occurred across multiple cities as government forces opened fire on demonstrators, turning what Amnesty International called "the deadliest period of repression by the Iranian authorities in decades" into a systematic killing of photographers, musicians, actors, and filmmakers alongside thousands of other civilians.
Kurdish violinist Nima Mandoumi, 23, was seized by Iranian intelligence in Alborz province on 9 December 2025 and has since disappeared into incommunicado detention. His arrest reportedly followed an international concert in Armenia involving Israeli musicians, underscoring how Iran’s security apparatus is criminalising cross‑border artistic collaboration and using enforced disappearance to silence Kurdish cultural voices
