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Politics

Islamic Republic Unmasked: Video Archive Shows Deadly Security Tactics

October 15, 2022
Ehsan Mehrabi,  
Omid Shams
1 min read
The recent protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, and widespread opposition to the entire Islamic Republic’s political system, have been brutally suppressed by Iran’s armed security forces
The recent protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, and widespread opposition to the entire Islamic Republic’s political system, have been brutally suppressed by Iran’s armed security forces

The recent protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, and widespread opposition to the entire Islamic Republic’s political system, have been brutally suppressed by Iran’s armed security forces.

During recent protests in Iran, particularly since July 9, 1999, citizens have alleged that armed security have fired directly at peaceful protesters and resorted to brutal acts of violence. The Islamic Republic’s authorities categorically deny these claims. With the widespread use of cell phone cameras, Iran’s security forces are now being recorded by the public on a large scale, making it much harder for the government to issue these denials.

In this report, IranWire has collected 65 videos showing the security forces’ deadly, illegal and criminal behavior, and we will continue to keep this updated. These videos show officers targeting protesters with handguns, assault rifles and lethal weapons, including AK47s, shotguns and tear gas. Videos also show security forces brutally beating protesters and detainees with shocking violence.

In this footage, children are severely beaten, and the elderly violently attacked. This includes an officer kicking an elderly man in the stomach, a middle-aged man being kicked in the chest, women being beaten on the sidewalk, and a girl being thrown to the ground while crossing the street.

These videos only reveal a small portion of the armed security forces of the Islamic Republic’s violent and illegal actions during the recent protests.

Young girl injured during protest

The video shows a young girl with a serious eye injury at the protests in Tehran's Enghelab Square.

Location: Tehran, Enghelab Square

Date: October 12, 2022

Young girl beaten and assaulted

The video shows the violent arrest of a young girl. The officers grab her by the hair and forcefully beat her, forcing her onto a motorcycle. The officers touch her body inappropriately, then throw her to the ground. With passing cars reacting to the scene, the officers eventually let her go, but then shoot her from behind with plastic bullets and a shotgun.

Location: Tehran

Date: October 20

Relevant organisation: Special Unit

Tear gas fired in shopping centre

The video shows security forces firing teargas inside a shopping centre. The cameraman explains that the officers then closed the doors of the mall, meaning the people trapped inside "are suffocating."

Location: Tehran, Kashani Shopping Centre

Date: October 12, 2022

Shots fired at protesters

The video shows security officers shooting repeatedly at protesters. In the video, the sound of continuous shooting and the firing of more than ten bullets can be heard.

Location: Golshahr Karaj

Date: October 12, 2022

Protesters beaten and passengers pepper sprayed inside bus

The video shows the Basij forces in Shiraz violently arresting protestors and beating them. They then pepper spray inside a city bus carrying several passengers.

Location: Shiraz

Date: October 12, 2022

Relevant organization: Basij

Tear gas fired into a girls' primary school

The video shows the students of Tarbiat Girls Primary School in District Three of Karaj leaving the school while covering their eyes and faces. The cameraman says the officers have fired tear gas inside the school’s assembly hall.

Location: Karaj, District Three, Tarbiat Girls Primary School

Date: October 12, 2022

Shots fired at protesters

The video shows security forces on motorcycles shooting indiscriminately at bystanders and passing cars around them. The person recording the video from the window of a residential house takes shelter as the shooting begins. A baby can be heard crying in the background.

Location: Sanandaj

Date: October 12, 2022

Shots fired at protesters in residential area

The video shows plainclothes agents shooting at protesters on a busy traffic-filled street and then in a residential neighbourhood.

Location: Lahijan

Date: October 12, 2022

Relevant organisation: Plainclothes agents

Citizen brutally beaten

The video shows several Basij officers and two plainclothes agents brutally beating a young man as they attempt to detain him. They repeatedly hit him in the head and neck while the young man remains subdued and does not resist arrest. They squeeze his throat, throw him on the ground, kick him in the stomach and groin, and hit him in the face with chains and a truncheon. Officers use their guns to threaten bystanders who have gathered around the man.

Location: Tehran

Date: October 12, 2022

Shots fired at protesters and residential homes

The video shows several protesters fleeing into an alleyway, while security agents chase after them and start shooting. The person recording the video from the window of a residential building takes shelter as the shooting continues.

Location: Saqqez

Date: October 8, 2022

Protesters and bystanders shot at indiscriminately

In this video, Basij officers and plainclothes agents fire at least 15 shots at protesters and pedestrians. Part of the video shows an officer approaching the fleeing protesters from less than five meters away and shooting them with a shotgun.

Location: near Sharif University, Tehran

Date: October 8, 2022

Relevant organization: Basij and plainclothes agents

Car with several passengers has window broken

Special Unit agents break all the windows of a car with multiple passengers inside.

Location: Mashhad

Date: October 8, 2022

Relevant organisation: Special Unit

Teenager severely beaten by 10 police officers

In the video, more than 10 police officers severely beat a teenager using batons, and repeatedly punching and kicking him.

Date: October 8, 2022

Location: Mashhad

Relevant organisation: Special Unit

Woman beaten on the sidewalk

The video shows police officers beating a woman standing on the sidewalk.

Location: Mashhad

Date: October 8, 2022

Relevant organisation: Police

Woman severely beaten

The video shows security forces severely beating a woman who objected to a security agent confiscating her cell phone. She is beaten up by multiple agents before four female agents drag her to the ground and take her away.

Location: Azadi Street, Tehran

Date: October 8, 2022

Relevant organisation: Plainclothes agents

Young girl severely beaten by police forces

In the video, several police officers severely beat a young girl who is talking to them. One of the officers slaps the young girl several times in the face and throws her on the stone steps, and the other officers continue to beat and slap the girl.

Location: Keshavarz Boulevard, Tehran

Date: October 8, 2022

Relevant organisation: Special Unit

Pedestrians severely beaten

The video shows several plainclothes officers severely beating a pedestrian and kicking him several times in the head, neck and sides. Then, an officer in the uniform of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), electrocutes him in the neck, causing him to have a severe seizure. The officers watch him have a seizure.

Location: Tehran

Date: October 2, 2022

Relevant organisation: IRGC, plainclothes agents

Children shot at with assault weapons

The video shows several children running away from the scene after hearing repeated gunshots. Moments later, armed forces enter the neighbourhood in pursuit of them. Five gunshots are then heard.

Location: Saqqez

Date: October 8 or 9, 2022

Relevant organisation: Unknown

Direct shots fired at protesters

The video shows seven security officers repeatedly shooting in a residential area. At the end of the video, an armoured vehicle with a gunman sitting on its roof enters. At least 10 shots can be heard.

Location: Sanandaj

Date: October 10, 2022

Shots and tear gas fired at pedestrians

In this video, officers on motorbikes indiscriminately shoot tear gas and bullets at pedestrians.

Location: Tehran,

Date: October 6, 2022

Relevant organization: Special Unit, plainclothes agents

Security officers fire cannisters, bullet casings and shotgun shells

The video shows security forces in Sanandaj firing teargas cannisters, shotgun shells, and live round casings.

Location: Sanandaj

Date: October 9, 2022

Direct shots fired at protesters

The video shows security officers firing directly at protesters.

Location: Tehran, Ceragh Bargh St

Date: October 8, 2022

Relevant organisation: Special Unit

Security forces shoot indiscriminately at protesters and residential buildings

The video shows several security officers repeatedly and indiscriminately firing tear gas and bullets in different directions in a residential area.

Location: Sanandaj

Date: October 10, 2022

Security forces shoot indiscriminately at pedestrians and cars

The video shows plainclothes agents on motorbikes continuously shooting at pedestrians and passing cars.

Location: Tehran, Jomohri St

Date: October 2, 2022

Relevant organisation: Plainclothes agents

Child shot by sniper

The video shows protesters gathering in Zahedan. A shot is heard and a Baloch child named Samer is hit.

Location: Zahedan

Date: Septemper 30, 2022

Shots fired pedestrians filming

In the video, a security officer shoots directly at a person who is filming from the other side of the street.

Location: Unknown

Date: October 6, 2022

Relevant organisation: Police

Shots fired pedestrians filming

A security officer on a motorcycle shoots directly at a woman in a car who is filming.

Location: Tehran, near Sharif University

Date: October 8, 2022

Relevant organisation: Special Unit

Protesters shot at with assault rifle

In the video, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shoots directly at protesters with an AK47 assault rifle.

Location: Dehgolan

Date: October 1, 2022

Relevant organisation: IRGC

Shots fired directly at protesters with assault rifle

The video shows the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shooting directly at protesters with AK47 assault rifles from meters away.

Location: Bukan

Date: October 1, 2022

Relevant organisation: IRGC

Shots fired at protesters from inside ambulance

The video shows security forces shooting at protesters from inside an ambulance.

Location: Tehran

Date: October 1, 2022

Police beat up an older man

The video shows violent treatment of one of the protesters. An old man is attacked by Special Unit officers, and one of the officers kicks him in the stomach.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Kish

Relevant organisation: Special Unit

Security forces severely beat a woman

One of the distinct features of these protests is that, as this video shows, officers even attack bystanders and people walking in the park.

Date: September 20, 2022

Location: Tehran

Relevant organization: Special Unit

Officers attack elderly man

In the video, police officers violently attack an elderly man and throw him to the ground.

Date: September 20, 2022

Location: Tabriz

Relevant organization: Special Unit

Security forces attack women wearing the hijab

The video shows security forces using batons to beat up several women, including some who are wearing the hijab.

Date: September 20, 2022

Location: Mashhad

Relevant organization: Special Unit, plainclothes agents

Citizens shot at from close range

The video shows security forces wearing black masks shooting directly at pedestrians from a close range. 

Date: September 19, 2022

Location: Mehrshahr Karaj

Relevant organization: Plainclothes agents

Citizens shot at from close range

The video shows security agents shooting directly at protesters from a close range. 

Date: September 19, 2022

Location: Diwandre

Relevant organization: Special Unit

Protesters shot at with handgun

A video was initially published showing an officer trying to attack protesters with a stun gun. When he failed, the protesters tried to subdue him. Later, this video was released showing the officer and other officers shooting directly at protesters.

Date: September 20, 2022

Location: Rasht

Relevant organisation: Police forces

Protesters and bystanders beaten

The video shows police officers indiscriminately beating protesters and bystanders.

Date: September 19, 2022

Location: Tehran

Relevant Organisation: Police forces

Young man severely beaten

The video shows the brutal beating of a young man, with a police officer hitting the man multiple times on the head. After the video was released, police officers arrested the family of the person who recorded this and forced them to confess on state-owned TV. The police claimed the arrested person was a dangerous criminal.

Date: September 20, 2022

Location: Yazd

Relevant organisation: Police forces

Protesters violently arrested

In the video, police officers and plainclothes agents violently arrest protesters.

Date: September 20, 2022

Location: Bandar Abbas

Relevant organisation: Police, plainclothes forces

Children violently beaten

In the video, police officers and plainclothes agents violently beat a young boy and girl.

Date: September 20, 2022

Location: Hamedan

Relevant organisation: Police, plainclothes forces

Protesters shot at from close range

In the video, security forces shoot at protesters with shotguns from a close range.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Sardasht

Relevant organisation: Special Unit

Shots fired at protesters including children

The video shows a child who has been shot in the head and has a deep head wound which is bleeding heavily.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Shushtar

Protesters severely injured by gunshot

The video shows a group of people trying to help a protester who has been shot and is covered in blood.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Kish

Protester beaten in street

The video show security forces violently beating a man, dragging him along the street and undressing him in public.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Ilam

Relevant organisation: Plainclothes agents

Shots fired at pedestrians

The video shows a plainclothes agent shooting as pedestrians in Tehran.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Tehran

Relevant organisation: Plainclothes forces

Bystanders brutally beaten

The video shows police forces violently beating up female bystanders in the city of Anzali.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Tehran

Relevant organisation: Special Unit

Shots fired in subway station

In the video, a boy enters the subway station where a plainclothes agent holding a gun tells the crowd to “get lost”. When the boy answers back, the agent takes out his gun and shoots him.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Tehran

Relevant organisation: Plainclothes agents

Bystanders beaten

The video shows police officers beating up bystanders without cause or provocation.

Date: unknown

Location: unknown

Relevant organisation: Police

Peaceful protester beaten

The video shows the violent encounter between Special Unit agents and a peaceful female protester.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Tabriz

Relevant organization: Special Unit

Shots fired directly at protesters

In the video, security forces shoot directly at protesters and then collect the bullet cases.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Hamedan

Relevant organization: Basij

Shots fired directly at protesters

The video shows security forces shooting directly at protesters.

Date: September 22, 2022

Location: Tehran

Relevant organization: Special Unit

Residential buildings damaged in raid

In the video, security forces break into a residential building, break glass and damage the property.

Date: September 22, 2022

Location: Anzali

Relevant organization: Special Unit

Shot fired at protester     

The video shows an injured protester being taken away on a motorbike having been shot.

Date: September 19, 2022

Location: Divandarreh

Security forces shoot elderly woman

The video shows a woman being taken to hospital after having been shot by security forces.

Date: September 19, 2022

Location: Mahabad

Protester injured

The video shows a man who has been shot by security forces being taken to hospital.

Date: September 17, 2022

Location: Saqqez

Relevant organisation: Special Unit

Protester injured

The video shows a man who has been shot by security forces. Several gunshot wounds are visible on his back.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Kermanshah

Protester injured

The video shows a man who has been shot by security forces. His head is covered in blood.

Date: September 20, 2022

Location: Piranshahr

Young protester injured

The video shows a child with a gunshot wound on his back.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Oshnavieh

Protester shot

The video shows a protester covered in blood, lying on the floor. He was later identified as Sadroddin Litani, a 27-year-old who died as the result of his injuries.

Date: September 21, 2022

Location: Oshnavieh

Woman brutally arrested

The video show security forces taking an arrested woman away. While the woman is in custody, the officer electrocutes her several times in the head.

Date: September 22, 2022

Location: Zanjan

Relevant organisation: Special Unit

Woman brutally beaten

While surrounded by security forces, a protesting woman is violently thrown to the floor and her head hits the street curb.

Date: September 22, 2022

Location: Unknown

Relevant organisation: Special Unit

Shots fired at protesters with handgun

The video shows security forces shooting directly at protesters with a handgun.

Date: September 23, 2022

Location: Rasht

Relevant organisation: Police forces

Shots fired at protesters with assault weapons

A member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shoots directly at protesters with an AK47 assault rifle.

Date: September 23, 2022

Location: Shar-e-Ray

Relevant organisation: IRGC

Woman beaten

In the video, a protesting woman passes a plainclothes officer who aggressively insults and kicks her.

Date: September 23, 2022

Location: Unknown

Relevant organisation: Plainclothes agents

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