Disturbing Accounts Emerge from Iranian Medical Professionals
Painting an accurate picture of the Iranian regime's brutal crackdown on protesters remains challenging due to ongoing internet restrictions and communication blackouts. Sky News has managed to speak with several medical professionals who have shared shocking accounts of alleged state brutality that has unfolded within the country's healthcare facilities.
The Restoration of Fear and Concealment Efforts
In Iran, what many describe as an architecture of fear has been firmly restored after the clerical establishment successfully crushed a nationwide revolt. Their determination to maintain power appears matched by systematic efforts to conceal the true extent of what has occurred throughout the country.
While Iran's communications blackout that began on 8 January has eased somewhat, with sporadic internet access now possible, it remains exceptionally difficult to communicate with people inside the country. Those who do speak out must find both the courage and practical means to reach beyond the regime's control.
An Activist Doctor's Harrowing Testimony
Dr Yaser Rahmani-Rad, a specialist in internal medicine at a public hospital in Tehran, provided Sky News with disturbing details of what he witnessed as the regime launched its crackdown in the capital city.
"Pressure was being put on nurses and doctors to clear out the emergency department," Dr Rahmani-Rad explained. "In other words, any patient who was there - whether they had clear medical indications or not - was told to be discharged. They wanted the emergency ward emptied for security forces who had been injured."
The doctor relayed even more chilling details passed to him by colleagues attempting to cope with the consequences of the state crackdown:
- In some cases, patients were removed from ventilators and other medical equipment
- Security officials reportedly stated: 'Let them die. They have no rights. They are against the Islamic system, and they deserve to die.'
- Medical workers reported security officials targeting protesters with weapons inside medical facilities
- Some protesters who had been wounded by shotguns were later killed in hospitals with live ammunition
As a result of the state crackdown, Dr Rahmani-Rad says security forces now effectively control hospitals throughout Iran. "If they realise that someone who was injured in the protests has gone to a hospital, or even if they had gone before and managed to escape them, they will arrest that person," he explained. "By checking security cameras, they track them down, raid the locations, and detain them. This is the situation we're in right now."
Targeting of Medical Professionals
Reports of doctors and medical professionals being specifically targeted have circulated widely online. Human rights organisations confirm they have verified at least six cases of medical professionals being arrested or detained for treating protesters.
Among those confirmed detained are:
- Dr Ameneh Soleimani, a dermatologist
- Dr Babak Pouramin
- Dr Farhad Nadali, a general surgeon
One particularly concerning case involves Dr Alireza Golchini, who posted on Instagram earlier in January stating he would provide treatment to protesters. Human rights organisations report that security forces recently raided Dr Golchini's home, beat him, and detained him. He now reportedly faces execution for charges of Moharrebeh, known as waging war against god.
Disputed Death Toll Figures
The Iranian authorities' violent shutdown of protests and enforcement of an internet blackout from 8 to 27 January has obscured the true impact of the brutal crackdown, making verified data collection exceptionally difficult.
Iran's Islamic Republic claims 3,117 people have been killed, asserting the majority were security forces and civilians rather than protesters. However, human rights agencies warn the actual numbers are significantly higher.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency has independently verified 6,301 deaths, with a further 17,091 cases under review, bringing the possible total to over 23,000 fatalities.
Medical professionals within Iran challenge the official figures as dramatically understated. Dr Rahmani-Rad and his network of doctors previously estimated approximately 20,000 to 30,000 people have been killed and now believe the number could be even higher.
This assessment is echoed by Dr Amir-Mobarez Parasta, an eye surgeon based in Germany, who claims at least 25,654 deaths have been recorded in hospitals and clinics across Iran since the protests began up to 23 January. Nearly a third of these (8,354) occurred in Tehran alone.
The Terrible Dilemma for Injured Protesters
Injured protesters requiring medical care face an impossible choice: seek treatment at a clinic or hospital in Iran and risk arrest and detention by authorities, or attempt to manage severe injuries without proper medical attention.
Some are turning to doctors working overseas for remote assistance. Dr Panteha Rezaeian, a cardiovascular expert in California, has received numerous calls from protest participants or their family members.
"They already had been shot," Dr Rezaeian explained. "They couldn't go to any hospital because they are afraid of getting killed or arrested. So what's happened? They are inside the house. They have infections, some of them are still bleeding. Some of them have been shot inside the belly."
The specialist described one particularly distressing case: "I have one very young boy that has been shot. From just a two-metre distance into both knees. And you can imagine he cannot ever walk again."
This represents an extreme form of remote healthcare, with Dr Rezaeian noting she does what she can, but these individuals require urgent medical attention that cannot be provided remotely. "Many of the injured people are not going to hospital, which means they are at risk of potential death in the next few days or a week," she warned.
Sky News approached Iranian officials with these findings but received no response to the detailed allegations presented by medical professionals both within and outside the country.
