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Iran’s chief coroner has laid the blame for the deaths of demonstrators in Iran on what he said were “terrorists,” claiming forensic examinations revealed victims whose “throats had been slit” and others shot at close range with hunting shotguns.
Detailing a series of killings during a Supreme Judicial Council meeting, Abbas Masjedi-Arani, head of Iran’s Legal Medicine Organisation, said a large number of victims were killed with knives and double-barrelled shotguns.
“The shotgun blasts were fired at such close range to the neck that the plastic wads from the cartridges remained lodged in the victims’ throats,” Masjedi-Arani said.
The official claimed some injuries appeared inflicted from rooftops, suggesting “terrorists” had been positioned above crowds. The claims were presented without independent photographic or forensic evidence. Euronews could not independently verify them.
Criminalising protests
The statements follow a shift in the government’s legal stance. Iran’s justice minister told reporters Wednesday that mere presence on the streets after 8 January is now considered a criminal act.
That date marks a turning point following a protest call issued by Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah who resides outside the country.
The minister argued the situation transitioned from “protest” to “internal conflict” after that date, asserting anyone arrested since then is “definitely a criminal.”
Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, Iran’s chief justice, called for swift and “decisive” action, emphasising there would be “no leniency” for those accused of arson or beheadings.
“If these cases are handled with delay, they will lose their deterrent effect,” Ejei stated on X. Those labelled as “riot elements” must not only face severe legal punishment but also be forced to compensate for damages to public property, he added.
The official narrative contrasts sharply with reports from international human rights organisations. These groups estimate over 2,000 people have been killed since protests began 28 December, sparked by severe economic crisis and political repression.
Insiders within Iran have told Euronews that the death toll is feared to be considerably higher, with as many as 15,000 Iranians killed as the Tehran regime reportedly further increased its violent crackdown against the demonstrations in recent days.
Independent verification of the government’s claims remains nearly impossible. The Iranian government has systematically restricted internet access and telephone communications, a move critics say is designed to prevent dissemination of real-time data and hide the true scale of state force.