‘They Just Kept Killing’: Eyewitnesses Describe Deadly Crackdown in Iran
A protester holds up a picture of crown prince Reza Pahlavi in Kaj Square, north-western Tehran, on Friday.
– I saw it with my own eyes – they fired directly into lines of protesters, and people fell where they stood. Omid’s voice trembled as he shared his harrowing experience, fearful of being identified. Breaking the silence between Iran and the outside world requires extraordinary courage, especially given the severe reprisals from the authorities.
– Omid, a man in his early 40s whose name has been changed for safety, has joined protests in a small southern city against escalating economic struggles. He described security forces opening fire on unarmed protesters with Kalashnikov-style assault rifles. We are fighting a brutal regime with empty hands, he stated.
The BBC has received numerous accounts detailing the crackdown by security forces following widespread protests that erupted last week. Authorities have cut internet access, making it exceptionally challenging to report from within Iran. The Iranian government has banned BBC Persian from reporting inside the country.
One of the largest anti-government protests occurred on the twelfth night of demonstrations. The turnout surged following calls from Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, overthrown in the 1979 Islamic revolution. The next day, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, asserted, The Islamic Republic will not back down. Tragically, the worst violence followed this announcement, as security forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded with lethal force.
– Eyewitness accounts reveal that last Thursday felt like the day of judgment. A young woman from Tehran noted, Even remote neighborhoods were filled with protesters—places you wouldn’t believe. But on Friday, security forces only killed and killed and killed. Seeing it with my own eyes made me physically ill; I completely lost morale. Friday was a bloody day. Following the violence, many began chanting from alleys and inside their homes due to fear of retribution. The woman described Tehran as a battlefield, yet emphasized, In war, both sides have weapons. Here, people chant and are killed. It is a one-sided war.
Eyewitness Accounts Highlight Brutality of the Crackdown
Eyewitnesses in Fardis, a city west of Tehran, recounted that on Friday, the paramilitary Basij forces, operating under the IRGC, suddenly attacked protesters after a long period without police presence. Witnesses alleged that these forces, dressed in uniform and riding motorcycles, fired live ammunition directly at demonstrators. They reported that unmarked cars appeared in alleys, with occupants shooting at uninvolved residents. Two or three people were killed in every alley, one witness claimed.
Those who have spoken to BBC Persian emphasized that the reality within Iran is nearly incomprehensible to the outside world. The death toll reported by international media only scratches the surface of the true numbers. Many independent news outlets face severe restrictions, often relying on Iranian human rights groups operating abroad.
– On Monday, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) reported at least 648 protesters had been killed, including nine minors. Eyewitness accounts estimate that the actual number of fatalities could be in the hundreds or even thousands. The BBC cannot independently verify these figures; Iranian authorities have yet to provide transparent statistics on protester deaths.
Iranian media claimed that protests had led to the deaths of 100 security personnel, asserting that protesters—whom they labeled as rioters—had set fire to numerous mosques and banks.
The Scale of Violence in Iran’s Protests
Footage from social media shows large crowds in Babol, northern Iran, and images from Khorramabad depicting a man holding Iran’s pre-revolutionary flag. Videos verified by BBC Persian’s fact-checking team depict police vehicles and government buildings set ablaze during the protests. Most testimonies and video evidence come from larger cities, such as Tehran, Karaj, and Mashhad, where internet access via the Starlink satellite network is more robust. Conversely, information from smaller towns remains scarce due to limited access.
Nurses and medical personnel reported overwhelming numbers of dead bodies and injured protesters. Many hospitals have become inundated and unable to treat severe injuries, particularly to the head and eyes. Some accounts described bodies stacked on top of each other and not returned to families for burial.
Graphic videos released on the activist-run Telegram channel, Vahid Online, depicted numerous bodies at the Kahrizak Forensic Medical Centre in Tehran. Family members were seen either mourning or attempting to identify the corpses, leading to heart-wrenching scenes.
A mortuary worker in Mashhad confirmed that between 180 and 200 bodies with severe head injuries were buried immediately before sunrise that Friday. Reports from Rasht indicated that 70 bodies of protesters were transferred to a local hospital mortuary that same day. A medical staff member from a hospital in eastern Tehran disclosed that around 40 bodies were received there around the same time, with many victims remaining unidentified.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed shock at the violence and excessive force used by Iranian authorities against protesters. Mai Sato, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, stressed, Regardless of the death toll, the use of lethal force by security forces is concerning.
The brutality and scope of the crackdown in Iran present a dire need for international awareness and action, as the struggle for freedom and justice continues on the streets amidst overwhelming adversity.