(Adnkronos) – New videos verified by the BBC reveal the extent of the repression in Iran, where protests that erupted in late December were violently suppressed by security forces. The images show bodies piled up in hospitals, snipers positioned on building roofs, and surveillance cameras destroyed by protesters to try and escape state control.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana), nearly 6,000 people have been killed, including 5,633 protesters, while an additional 17,000 reported deaths are currently being verified. The Norway-based association Iran Human Rights (Ihr) warns that the death toll could exceed 25,000 victims. Iranian authorities, however, claim that the death toll was over 3,100, but most of these would concern security personnel or civilians hit by “rioters”.
The images cited by the BBC date back to January 8 and 9, nights considered so far the deadliest for protesters, following an appeal by Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah, for a national protest. In videos verified by the BBC and BBC Persian, at least 31 bodies are seen inside the Tehranpars hospital morgue and seven body bags outside the entrance. In another video, hundreds of people protest along a highway west of Tehran, while gunshots and desperate screams are heard.
In some cities, protesters have tried to evade state control by disabling surveillance cameras. In a video from the capital, a person climbs a pole and repeatedly hits a camera, while the crowd applauds.
Iranian security forces have also deployed snipers on building roofs. In Mashhad, in the northeast of the country, two men dressed in black were filmed on a roof: one is next to a rifle leaning against a wall, while the other smokes, crouching on the ground, likely in a surveillance position.
The British broadcaster reports that the protests have involved at least 71 urban centers, but the actual number of cities could be much higher, due to the near-total internet blackout imposed by authorities since January 8. Some citizens managed to connect briefly thanks to satellite systems like Starlink or via VPN, allowing for the partial dissemination of videos.
