Verified footage from Iran depicts scenes of escalating violence following a recent crackdown on protests earlier this month. The videos show bodies amassed in a hospital, snipers positioned on rooftops, and the destruction of CCTV cameras.
BBC Verify has been monitoring the protests across Iran since their emergence in late December. However, a near-total internet shutdown implemented by authorities has significantly hindered efforts to comprehensively document the state’s response to the demonstrations.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), nearly 6,000 fatalities have been confirmed since the unrest began, including 5,633 protesters. The organization is also investigating reports of an additional 17,000 deaths, despite the challenges posed by the internet blackout which has lasted almost three weeks.
Iran Human Rights (IHR), a Norway-based group, has cautioned that the final death toll could potentially exceed 25,000.
Iranian authorities stated last week that over 3,100 individuals were killed, asserting that the majority were security personnel or bystanders who were targeted by “rioters.”
The latest videos are believed to have been recorded on January 8th and 9th, coinciding with widespread protests prompted by a call from Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former Shah.
These nights are believed to be the deadliest for protesters to date and the verified videos illustrate the severity of the security forces’ response.
Analysis by BBC Verify and BBC Persian confirms the presence of numerous bodies inside a mortuary at Tehranpars hospital in east Tehran. The hospital’s location was verified by matching its interior with publicly available images and videos. At least 31 bodies were counted in a single video, while another clip shows seven body bags outside the hospital’s entrance.
Another video shows hundreds of demonstrators on a highway in west Tehran before gunfire erupts and people begin screaming.
Demonstrators have also sought to circumvent Iran’s surveillance infrastructure by disabling CCTV cameras. Verified footage shows an individual in the capital damaging a surveillance camera in an attempt to disable it, as a large crowd cheers from below.
The anti-government protests have been tracked across 71 towns and cities in Iran, however the number of affected areas is believed to be much higher.
In Kerman, a city in southeastern Iran, a video taken from an elevated position shows armed men in military uniforms firing weapons continuously while walking down a road. The intended targets are unclear. A small fire can be seen burning in the middle of the road, while the sounds of protesters chanting fill the background.
Snipers have also been documented on rooftops. In Mashhad, northeastern Iran, verified video shows two men in black attire on a rooftop during daylight hours. One man is standing next to a large rifle leaning against a wall and talking on the phone, while the other crouches on the floor and smokes.
Since January 8th, most people have experienced a near-total internet blackout. Some have managed to briefly access the internet using solutions such as SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet and virtual private networks (VPNs).
Additional videos are expected to emerge in the coming days as the country’s economy is impacted by the ongoing blackout.
Additional reporting BBC Persian.
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