Disturbing new footage emerging from Iran appears to show scores of corpses in black body bags laid out across a forensic facility in the capital, Tehran, following a brutal government crackdown on nationwide protests.
Graphic Evidence of a Bloody Crackdown
Five separate video clips, shared online by activists and verified by The Independent using satellite imagery, depict a harrowing scene at the Kahrizak forensic laboratory, located 20km south of Tehran's centre. The videos show bodies, some bloodied and clad only in underwear, littering the compound. Mourners are seen moving between the dead, who are laid out inside warehouses and along an internal road, weeping uncontrollably and collapsing in grief.
Iranian activist accounts, which have become credible sources for smuggled imagery, state the regime summoned civilians to the site to identify their dead. This comes as the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) confirms that more than 544 people have been killed in the unrest, with 496 of them being protesters. The true death toll is feared to be significantly higher, as verification is stymied by a near-total communications blackout imposed by authorities.
Nationwide Unrest and International Fallout
The protests erupted two weeks ago, triggered by a catastrophic collapse in the value of the Iranian rial which sent living costs soaring. HRANA reports the demonstrations have now spread to all 31 provinces of Iran. Shared footage shows thousands in streets across multiple cities calling for the downfall of the ruling clerics, with the sound of continuous gunfire audible in several clips.
Eyewitness accounts relayed via Starlink technology describe widespread violence. One person from Tehran's Narmak neighbourhood reported seeing authorities "washing the blood... off the asphalt with high pressure water after massacring them." Another noted that shops are empty and food is running out, with the regime sending text warnings about "armed terrorists" to keep citizens indoors.
Internationally, pressure is mounting on Iran's embattled regime. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, claimed without evidence on Monday that the protests "turned violent and bloody to give an excuse" for former US President Donald Trump to intervene. Trump, who has threatened military action, stated the regime has proposed negotiations. Iran has warned of retaliation if attacked, though its capacity is questionable after much of its air defence network was destroyed in a conflict with Israel last year.
A Regime Under Siege and a Hidden Toll
Even Iranian state television has aired footage of body bags at Tehran’s coroner’s office, though it falsely claimed the dead were victims of "armed terrorists." The regime has not released an official casualty list. Meanwhile, HRANA states more than 10,600 people have been detained over the past fortnight.
With a near-total information blackout in place, the full scale of the crackdown remains obscured. Only those with satellite technology or who have fled the country can relay information, painting a picture of a severe and ongoing human rights catastrophe. The situation on the ground, described by one source as "terrible," is met with a grim optimism among protesters that the regime's days may be numbered.
