A video shows a shocking scene in Tehran: dozens of bodies inside mortuary bags, lined up in the middle of the street at the doors of the Kahrizak Forensic Center, while relatives and friends gather to try to identify their dead. The images released on January 11 leave one of the starkest images of the wave of protests that has shaken Iran since the end of December.
The location of the video has been verified through matching buildings, but it has not been possible to confirm the exact date on which the images were recorded. In the recording you can see rows of black bags spread on the ground, a few meters from the morgue, while dozens of people wait for news or try to recognize the bodies.
The scene reflects the collapse of forensic and health services due to the magnitude of the repression. Iranian state television also broadcast similar images from the Tehran coroner’s office, assuring that the deceased were victims of events caused by “armed terrorists”, a version that contrasts with reports from human rights organizations.
The protests began on December 28 in response to the collapse of the currency and the sharp increase in the cost of living. Within days, the demonstrations evolved into a movement with slogans against the religious leadership and demands for regime change. Since then, the mobilizations have spread throughout the country, despite the information blackout and internet cuts imposed by the authorities.
According to the United States-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), more than 2,000 people have died during the crackdown, and more than 90% of them were protesters. In addition, at least 16,700 people have been arrested. Iranian doctors have reported overflowing hospitals and emergency rooms filled with people wounded by gunshots, with numerous cases of impacts to the head and eyes.
US President Donald Trump has publicly urged Iranians to continue protesting and warned of possible retaliation if the regime goes ahead with executions. Meanwhile, European countries such as France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom have summoned Iranian ambassadors to protest the violence, and the European Commission has described the growing number of victims as “horrifying.”
