On 10 December 2019 the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which is a human rights organization based in New York City, put Iran among the countries with the highest number of imprisoned journalists.

The Kurdistan Human Rights Network has stated that many detained protesters, some of them underage, are held under gruelling conditions.
In addition, sources have characterized conditions in the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary as "unbearable".

In addition to the first phase of arrests during the demonstrations, the security forces examined photographs of licence plates taken during the protests "to identify leaders and speak to informants to identify more" protesters to arrest.

Many observers are worried that some of those arrested have undergone severe torture and may face execution.
On 10 December 2019 the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which is a human rights organization based in New York City, put Iran among the countries with the highest number of imprisoned journalists.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network has stated that many detained protesters, some of them underage, are held under gruelling conditions. In addition, sources have characterized conditions in the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary as "unbearable".
In addition to the first phase of arrests during the demonstrations, the security forces examined photographs of licence plates taken during the protests "to identify leaders and speak to informants to identify more" protesters to arrest.
Many observers are worried that some of those arrested have undergone severe torture and may face execution.
2019–20 Iranian protests