Warning: The following story contains graphic details of violence which some readers might find upsetting. A BBC News Persian analysis of hundreds of videos and photographs taken during recent protests in Iran confirms the security forces' use of a wide range of weaponry, including machine guns, sniper rifles, and shotguns.
Protesters were reportedly killed in many of the more than 200 cities where protests had been recorded. While the exact death toll remains unclear, the level of brutality and the deployment of lethal weaponry evidences that thousands have been killed across the country. The crackdown on protests, which began over economic issues but escalated rapidly, employed a level of violence unprecedented in modern Iranian history.
Payam Akhavan, an Iranian Canadian former UN prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, noted, This is the largest mass killing in contemporary Iranian history and one of the largest in the world. The Iranian government, however, has blamed the killings on 'rioters and terrorists.'
According to BBC News Persian analysis, security forces employed various weapons against protesters, including machine guns, sniper rifles, assault rifles, shotguns, handguns, tear gas, machetes, knives, and batons. During the protests, these forces were seen using weapons not typically associated with crowd control, including heavy-duty machine guns mounted on trucks.
Verified footage from cities such as Tehran and Yazdanshahr shows the deployment of these weapons against demonstrators, leading to injuries and fatalities. In one instance, security forces were seen firing sniper rifles at protesters, demonstrating the lethal force used in attempting to quash dissent.
The widespread use of firearms and other weapons during the protests has resulted in numerous casualties, including injuries caused by shotguns, which left many protesters with life-altering damage. Dr. Ghasem Fakhraei, an IRAN surgeon, reported that around 1,000 patients suffering from injuries caused by metal pellets required emergency surgery at a single hospital.
Protesters were reportedly killed in many of the more than 200 cities where protests had been recorded. While the exact death toll remains unclear, the level of brutality and the deployment of lethal weaponry evidences that thousands have been killed across the country. The crackdown on protests, which began over economic issues but escalated rapidly, employed a level of violence unprecedented in modern Iranian history.
Payam Akhavan, an Iranian Canadian former UN prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, noted, This is the largest mass killing in contemporary Iranian history and one of the largest in the world. The Iranian government, however, has blamed the killings on 'rioters and terrorists.'
According to BBC News Persian analysis, security forces employed various weapons against protesters, including machine guns, sniper rifles, assault rifles, shotguns, handguns, tear gas, machetes, knives, and batons. During the protests, these forces were seen using weapons not typically associated with crowd control, including heavy-duty machine guns mounted on trucks.
Verified footage from cities such as Tehran and Yazdanshahr shows the deployment of these weapons against demonstrators, leading to injuries and fatalities. In one instance, security forces were seen firing sniper rifles at protesters, demonstrating the lethal force used in attempting to quash dissent.
The widespread use of firearms and other weapons during the protests has resulted in numerous casualties, including injuries caused by shotguns, which left many protesters with life-altering damage. Dr. Ghasem Fakhraei, an IRAN surgeon, reported that around 1,000 patients suffering from injuries caused by metal pellets required emergency surgery at a single hospital.
