Disturbing videos emerging from Iran show bodies piling up in a makeshift morgue south of Tehran, highlighting the deadly toll of recent anti-government protests and the regime’s harsh crackdown. The footage, which circulated over the weekend despite an internet blackout, reveals families frantically searching for loved ones among black body bags scattered both inside warehouse-like rooms and in the facility’s courtyard at the Kahrizak Forensic Medical Center.
The scenes are linked to a wave of anti-government protests that have swept Iran since late December, driven by deteriorating economic conditions and presenting one of the most significant challenges to the regime in years. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), more than 500 protesters, including nine minors, have been killed, and over 10,000 have been arrested in the crackdown. Videos obtained by CNN show crowds gathered around monitors displaying photos of the deceased, with estimates suggesting around 250 bodies at the Kahrizak facility alone.
Iranian state media has acknowledged the grim scenes but offered a counter-narrative, insisting that most of the dead are ‘ordinary people’ or bystanders caught up in the violence, which they blame on ‘rioters.’ State-affiliated outlets like Tasnim News Agency have broadcast interviews with grieving families who claim their relatives were not protesters and were killed by unknown assailants. This reflects a concerted effort by the government to shift blame and deter further demonstrations.
Human rights groups, however, dispute this account, holding Iranian authorities responsible for the deaths and injuries. Michael Page of Human Rights Watch stated that the government has never truly distinguished between peaceful protesters and so-called rioters, using force indiscriminately. Eyewitnesses have reported security forces firing on crowds with military rifles and using excessive measures, such as Tasering a girl until she lost consciousness.
The Iranian government has defended its actions, with Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni claiming that security forces exercise ‘maximum restraint.’ President Masoud Pezeshkian has differentiated between peaceful protesters and ‘rioters,’ with the attorney general vowing harsh penalties including the death penalty for the latter. Yet, the crackdown appears to have only intensified the unrest, with reports indicating that repression has pushed some towards more extreme measures.
Amidst this, Iran has imposed a near-total internet blackout, now in its sixth day, severely limiting the flow of information and making it difficult to verify casualty figures or the full scale of the violence. The videos from Kahrizak, therefore, provide rare and bleak glimpses into the crisis, underscoring the challenges of documenting human rights abuses in such an environment.
The international community is closely watching, as the protests signify deep-seated discontent within Iran. The regime’s response, characterized by violent suppression and information control, risks further alienating the population and could lead to prolonged instability. With the true extent of casualties still unclear, the situation remains fluid, and the videos serve as a stark reminder of the high stakes involved in Iran’s latest bout of civil unrest.
