Leaked photographs from a mortuary in south Tehran have revealed the faces of hundreds of people killed during Iran's violent crackdown on protests, the BBC reports. The images, showing bloodied and bruised victims, were displayed at the Kahrizak Foreign Medical Centre, providing families with one of the only ways to identify their loved ones.
BBC Verify analysed 392 photos, identifying at least 326 victims, including 18 women. Many victims were too disfigured to be identified, with 69 labelled as John or Jane Doe. Only 28 had clearly visible names. More than 100 victims died on 9 January, believed to be one of the deadliest nights for protesters in Tehran.
A source told BBC Verify that victims ranged from ages 12 to 70. The protests, which began in December, have been driven by economic crisis and calls for change from Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late shah. US President Donald Trump warned Iran that continued assassination threats would result in the country being 'blown up,' while Iran's armed forces warned Trump against any action against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran imposed a national internet blackout nearly two weeks ago, which internet freedom watchdog Netblocks said helps hide atrocities. Footage smuggled out of Iran, verified by The i, showed girls as young as 16 among the dead. Messages via Starlink described a 'war-like situation,' with security forces firing directly at protesters.
Hengaw, a human rights group, condemned the 'deliberate stripping of dignity from the dead and the living alike,' noting that families are forced to search among hundreds of bodies in conditions designed to intimidate and silence them.
