In brief
BBC News Persian has verified the identities and stories of more than 200 victims of the violent crackdown in Iran, a project that highlights the individual lives lost amidst the protests that began in December 2022. By analyzing social media and footage, the report reveals detailed narratives of these tragic deaths, including accounts of young protesters like Ghazal Damarcheli and Negin Ghadimi. As the crackdown continues, BBC's ongoing project seeks to honor the victims and expose the ongoing human rights violations in the country.
BBC News Persian has verified the identities of more than 200 of the thousands of people killed during Iran's brutal crackdown on the recent widespread protests.
The project has scoured social media, verified online footage and used eyewitness accounts to build up a chronicle of how and when the protesters were killed, as well as some details about their lives.
Many of these accounts were provided to the BBC by sources close to the victims and were cross-checked against data from human rights organisations.
Since the unrest began in late December, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has confirmed the deaths of 6,872 protesters, including more than 150 children.
Iranian authorities acknowledge that at least 3,000 people were killed, but claim some were members of the security forces. Pictures and information about victims identified by BBC News Persian can be seen in a dedicated section on their site.
Among those killed were Mansoureh Heydari and her husband, Behrouz Mansouri. A family friend told BBC News Persian that the couple had joined the protests in Bushehr, when both were shot dead by security forces on 8 January. They witnessed tremendous infliction of pain as Behrouz suffered a fatal shot in the head; then, Mansoureh returned to him and was killed too.
Many of the identified victims were young, including Ghazal Damarcheli, a 17-year-old art student who was shot on 9 January.
The project aims to continue adding names and details as verification progresses, emphasizing the personal stories behind each of the confirmed deaths and the ongoing plight faced by families remaining in the current volatile environment.
