What occurred during the nationwide uprising in Iran was not merely the suppression of a protest or a security response to civil unrest. Rather, based on a combination of official statements, field evidence, and professional eyewitness testimonies, it constitutes widespread and deliberate killing of civilians, which can rightly be described as political genocide.
Official Confession: Collapse of the Government Narrative
Statements by Hasan-Zadeh, commander of Greater Tehran’s branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), broadcast on state television, go beyond any justification or interpretation and constitute a clear admission of civilian killings. He explicitly stated:
“A significant portion of innocent and oppressed people, who were simply moving through the city to carry out their daily affairs, were martyred.”
This admission clearly shows that the IRGC fired directly at civilians who—even according to the commander himself—were neither armed nor necessarily protesters, but ordinary citizens going about their daily lives.
Such statements fully invalidate the regime’s official narrative portraying the uprising as “terrorist” and confirm independent human rights reports and eyewitness testimonies that, from the very first days, reported direct gunfire by military forces at unarmed civilians.
Official Statistics and International Reports: The Tip of the Iceberg
On January 13, Reuters reported, on the seventh day of the uprising, citing an Iranian official:
“DUBAI, Jan 13 (Reuters) – Around 2,000 people were killed in Iran protests, an Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday, blaming “terrorists” for the deaths of civilians and security personnel.”
Although this official, following the regime’s rhetoric, labeled protesters as “terrorists,” the reference to approximately 2,000 deaths, which includes civilians, reveals the scale of the regime’s killing.
Given limited but disclosed forensic evidence—such as images obtained from Kahrizak, covering only a single day—the actual number of victims is definitely much higher.
Field Evidence: Use of Military Weapons Against Civilians
Images and videos released before the internet shutdown show military vehicles deployed in the streets, equipped with heavy weapons such as Dushka machine guns. The use of such weapons, designed for battlefield combat, leaves no justification other than shooting to kill.
Furthermore, dozens of videos documenting direct gunfire at protesters before the internet shutdown clearly demonstrate that the killing of civilians was not a “mistake” or an “unintended consequence,” but a deliberate, systematic policy and a political carnage.
Doctors’ Testimonies: Witnessing the Catastrophe Inside Hospitals
Eyewitness accounts from inside Iran, especially from doctors, reveal the scale of this disaster in shocking detail. Below is part of the report of a physician present in hospitals in Tehran and Isfahan:
“The internet was cut around 8 p.m. on Thursday, and about 20 minutes later the hospital called me. When I arrived, the situation was a ‘mass casualty’ scenario, meaning the number of wounded exceeded the hospital’s capacity. We normally have three operating rooms active; that night, five operating rooms were running. The casualties were so numerous that I told the cadres no to attend to some patients because there was no hope of survival and focus on those who still had a chance. Five to six surgeons were working continuously. I personally performed 11 surgeries and never had the chance to sit down.
After midnight, the nature of the injuries changed.
“From around 12 a.m., the injuries were from combat-grade firearms.”
On Friday, this physician went to Isfahan.
“Friday night was different. It was not AK-47 fire; the sound of heavy weapons like Dushkas could be heard. I saw protesters who had been shot in the heels or thighs. One person had been shot at close range, and the body was full of pellets. Around 6 p.m., all emergency beds were full, and injured people were continuously brought to the hospital. At midnight, they called me and said that seven people had been brought in together, six of whom were already dead, and they were trying to save the seventh.
“On Saturday morning, blood could be seen on the sidewalks, and spent cartridges were everywhere. A few workers were cleaning up. In one night, 17 major surgeries were performed, including opening the chest or abdomen. A hospital that normally sees one death every 24 hours witnessed eight deaths in just four hours.
“The official figures are not accurate. The shots were directed at the chest and face. We saw catastrophic injuries to the aorta, liver, and spleen simultaneously in a single person. Nothing could be done.
“Security forces were collecting information about the wounded. I continually told patients not to give their real names.
“Even one of our colleagues was killed, which devastated everyone.
“I was present in 2009 and after Mahsa Amini’s death, but I had never seen this volume of combat-grade gunfire or heard the sound of heavy weapons before.”
Responsibility of the International Community
The combination of official confessions, international reports, visual evidence, and professional eyewitness testimonies leaves no doubt that what occurred in Iran constitutes widespread, systematic, and deliberate killing of civilians, an act that under international law amounts to crimes against humanity and political genocide.
In such circumstances, silence or inaction by international bodies is not neutrality, but indirect complicity in the crime.
International human rights organizations are urged to:
- Immediately initiate independent, international investigations with full access to evidence and witnesses.
- Ensure that those who ordered and carried out these killings, from military commanders to political officials, are subject to international legal accountability.
- Utilize available mechanisms, including universal jurisdiction, to prevent impunity for the perpetrators.
- Recognize the voices of victims and survivors and prevent distortion or denial of the truth.
History shows that crimes left unpunished are repeated, as we are witnessing the repetition of the 1988 massacre now in Iran. The moral and legal responsibility of the international community today is realized not in issuing statements, but in effective and immediate action.
