BBC News Persian has verified the identities of more than 200 of thousands killed during Iran's brutal crackdown on recent protests. The project has scoured social media, verified online footage, and utilized eyewitness accounts to construct a chronicle of how and when the protesters were killed, in addition to intimate details about their lives.
Many accounts were provided by sources close to the victims and were cross-checked against data from human rights organizations. Since the unrest began in late December, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has confirmed the deaths of 6,872 protesters, including over 150 children.
The Iranian authorities acknowledge that at least 3,000 people were killed, but claim some were members of the security forces. Pictures and information about additional victims identified by BBC News Persian can be found on their website.
Among the deceased is Mansoureh Heydari and her husband, Behrouz Mansouri, who were shot dead on January 8 after joining protests in Bushehr. The couple left behind two children aged eight and ten. Their bodies were returned four days later, buried side by side.
Another tragic story belongs to Ghazal Damarcheli, a 17-year-old art student who was shot outside her home in Karaj on January 9. In her final moments, she told her father, Dad, I'm burning, after being struck by gunfire in a protest.
The ongoing project aims to continuously add further names and stories as verification progresses, using various methods to gather information, including footage from funerals and images from morgues. Despite challenges such as internet blackouts imposed by the government, BBC News Persian has persevered, relying on alternate communication methods to ensure these victims’ stories are not forgotten.
Many accounts were provided by sources close to the victims and were cross-checked against data from human rights organizations. Since the unrest began in late December, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has confirmed the deaths of 6,872 protesters, including over 150 children.
The Iranian authorities acknowledge that at least 3,000 people were killed, but claim some were members of the security forces. Pictures and information about additional victims identified by BBC News Persian can be found on their website.
Among the deceased is Mansoureh Heydari and her husband, Behrouz Mansouri, who were shot dead on January 8 after joining protests in Bushehr. The couple left behind two children aged eight and ten. Their bodies were returned four days later, buried side by side.
Another tragic story belongs to Ghazal Damarcheli, a 17-year-old art student who was shot outside her home in Karaj on January 9. In her final moments, she told her father, Dad, I'm burning, after being struck by gunfire in a protest.
The ongoing project aims to continuously add further names and stories as verification progresses, using various methods to gather information, including footage from funerals and images from morgues. Despite challenges such as internet blackouts imposed by the government, BBC News Persian has persevered, relying on alternate communication methods to ensure these victims’ stories are not forgotten.
