Life-changing eye and head injuries suffered by protesters during the 2022 anti-government protests in Iran were inflicted by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s security forces and were “systematic, deliberate, and extensive,” according to a Sept. 29 investigation by a U.S.-based human rights center and by the IranWire media group.
The report also found that security forces used weapons made by several Western arms producers, in direct violation of international law and sanctions.
The year-long investigation, which included graphic photos and detailed evidence of the injuries, was carried out by the U.S.-based Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC) and the IranWire news outlet. It explored the incidents of violence against demonstrators following the death of 22-year old Mahsa Amini in police custody for failing to follow mandatory hijab laws.
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Mahsa’s death in September 2022 ignited nationwide anti-government protests and led to the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ gender equality movement. Hundreds – including children – were killed during the demonstrations, while thousands suffered life-altering injuries.
The research documented testimony and medical records from 141 protestors who were left with permanent disabilities through the use of so-called “less-lethal” weapons. Of these protestors, 97 were injured by shotgun fire, 12 were injured with paintball guns and nine were wounded by tear gas canisters. The remaining 14 protestors died of their injuries.
The researchers used legal and court documents, and consulted with eye experts and legal experts to investigate whether the use of violence by security forces amounted to a pattern of deliberate targeting.
“Protesters were deliberately targeted with direct fire from shotguns, paintball guns, and tear gas canisters aimed at the head, face, and other vital organs,” the investigation’s legal team said. “Although classified as ‘less-lethal,’ these weapons were used to kill, incapacitate, and inflict maximum pain.”
The findings bolster a 2024 investigation by the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran which found that: “security forces used unnecessary and disproportionate force which resulted in the unlawful killing and injuries of protestors.”
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“A pattern of extensive injuries to protesters’ eyes caused the blinding of scores of women, men and children, branding them for life,” the UN experts said in a March 2024 press release. The mission found the Islamic Republic had committed crimes against humanity during the crackdown, in its report.
The IHRDC research team said: “This systematic blinding constitutes torture aimed at instilling terror in society,” in a Sept. 29 statement.
The IHRDC also documented the use of Western weapons by security forces during the protests. While international sanctions prohibit several forms of trade with the Islamic Republic including certain types of military supplies, the report found that intermediary companies enabled weapons transfers including to currently sanctioned Iranian entities.
“This repression was facilitated by an international supply chain,” the report said. “Equipment sourced from Turkish defense manufacturers (Hatsan, Akkar, Sarsılmaz) and North American recreational suppliers (Tippmann, DYE Precision), as well as ammunition components from French-Italian Cheddite Co., was diverted for use by Iranian security forces.”
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While the report noted that several pieces of international legislation imposed restrictions on arms sales to the Islamic Republic, it claimed that entities in Iran bypassed the restrictions and that one company received at least $11,398,069 in foreign currency in recent years.
Additionally, the report said: “The Paintball Association of the Islamic Republic of Iran appears to play a central role in supplying paintball guns to Iranian security forces.”
“At least one model of paintball gun—the Empire BT-4 Combat Marker, manufactured by the U.S.-Canadian company Tippmann—is listed for sale on the association’s official website,” it added.
“The 2022 protests reveal clear patterns of violence and human rights violations by the Islamic Republic against peaceful protesters, resulting in lasting harm. The documented use of indiscriminate and excessive force constitutes a violation of the right to life and the prohibition against cruel or inhuman treatment,” the report said. “Evidence from arms trade data further indicates the diversion of weapons for crowd suppression, raising serious concerns under international arms trade and humanitarian law.”
The IHRDC’s investigation concluded that: “The geographic spread of victims across multiple provinces highlights the organized and coordinated nature of these operations.”
“Such conduct violates Iranian law, internal security protocols, and international standards, including the U.N. Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms and the UN Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement,” it said.
Recommendations in the report included the need for full transparency across supply chains, proper safeguards put in place by manufacturers of dual-use devices to ensure their products are not being used to commit human rights violations, and the classification of shotguns and paintball guns as dual-use products and to be regulated as such due to their ability to cause serious harm.
