Shocking video footage emerging from Iran appears to show scores of dead bodies in black bags littering the grounds of a forensic facility in Tehran, as human rights groups warn the death toll from a vicious government crackdown has soared past 500.
Graphic Evidence of a Brutal Crackdown
The disturbing clips, shared online by activists, depict a harrowing scene at the Kahrizak forensic laboratory, located just 20km south of Tehran's centre. The footage shows bodies, some bloodied and clad only in underwear, strewn across the compound. Mourners are seen moving between the dead, who are laid out inside warehouses and along an internal road, sobbing uncontrollably and collapsing in grief.
Two credible Iranian activist accounts identified the location and stated the regime had summoned civilians to identify their deceased relatives. The Independent has geolocated parts of the buildings in the videos, matching them to satellite imagery of the sprawling facility. Verification remains extremely difficult due to a near-total national communications blackout imposed by authorities.
Rising Death Toll and Nationwide Unrest
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which has accurately reported on past Iranian unrest, more than 544 people have been killed, 496 of them protesters. The true figure is believed to be significantly higher. HRANA also reports that over 10,600 individuals have been detained during the two weeks of demonstrations.
The protests erupted nationwide after a catastrophic collapse in the value of the Iranian rial sent living costs soaring. The rallies, calling for the downfall of the ruling clerics, have now spread to all 31 of Iran's provinces. Shared videos show thousands in the streets, with the sound of continuous gunfire audible in several clips.
International Pressure and Regime Response
Iran's embattled government faces mounting international condemnation as the violence escalates. In a notable admission, even Iranian state television has aired footage of dozens of body bags at Tehran’s coroner’s office, though it falsely claimed the dead were victims of "armed terrorists".
Eyewitness accounts relayed via Starlink technology describe horrific scenes. One person from Tehran's Narmak neighbourhood reported seeing authorities "washing the blood... off the asphalt with high pressure water after massacring them". Others warn of food shortages and that the regime is texting citizens, telling them not to leave home due to purported "armed terrorists".
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi baselessly alleged on Monday that the protests "turned violent and bloody to give an excuse" for former US President Donald Trump to intervene. The regime has still not released an official casualty list. Trump, who has threatened military action, stated the Iranian regime has proposed negotiations and is due to meet officials to consider options.
Iran has warned of retaliation if attacked, but its capacity is in question after most of its air defences were destroyed in a war with Israel last year.
