Ali Ghomshi is the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ghana
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ghana has responded to allegations of human rights abuses by its government against its citizens during recent mass protests across the country.
Reacting to an editorial published on GhanaWeb on January 19, 2026, titled “How Many More: Iranians in Ghana protest human rights abuses,” the embassy refuted claims that the Iranian government was responsible for the violence that erupted during the protests, which were alleged to have resulted in thousands of deaths.
According to the embassy, the protests initially stemmed from the worsening economic situation in Iran, which it attributed to sanctions imposed by the United States.
It said the demonstrations were peaceful at the onset and only turned violent due to the infiltration of terrorist elements and foreign interference.
“With the passage of time, these legal gatherings in some regions were, by infiltrating elements and terrorist cores with organised tactics, deviated and seized. The goal of these currents was not the pursuit of economic demands and not reforms, but rather driving the country toward anarchy, creating public intimidation, and intensifying bloody tensions,” it explained.
The embassy further stated that terrorist elements attacked civilians and security agencies, leading to the deaths and destruction recorded during the unrest.
How Many More: Irans in Ghana protest human rights abuses
“Based on official documents and field assessments, these violence-seeking elements committed the following actions in the course of these protests: widespread destruction of public and private property; deliberate creation of fire in hospitals, banks, the urban transport fleet (bus and ambulance), mosques, and the looting of stores belonging to ordinary citizens.
“Direct targeting of the forces safeguarding security and civilians: resorting to methods such as beheading police officers and burning people alive, in the course of which, during these incidents, more than 2,400 of the oppressed and innocent citizens of Iran (including security forces and various strata of the people) attained the blessing of martyrdom. Many of these martyrs were ordinary passersby or protesters who became the target of indiscriminate shootings and the scenario of ‘casualty-manufacturing’ by organised terrorist agents, so that human losses would increase,” it said.
The embassy explained that the Iranian government restricted internet access after gathering evidence that foreign actors, including Mossad, were using social media platforms to incite and fuel violence.
It added that it was prepared to provide evidence to support all its claims, stressing that the government of Iran remains committed to protecting the lives and safety of its citizens.
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