Leaked Photos Expose the Faces of Victims in Iran's Protest Crackdown

Thu Jan 29 2026 22:53:18 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Newly surfaced photographs leaked to the BBC reveal the faces of victims killed during Iran's brutal suppression of anti-government protests, highlighting the tragic human cost of the unrest.

Hundreds of graphic images leaked to BBC Verify disclose the brutal aftermath of Iran's recent protests, showing the faces of at least 326 victims, a stark reminder of the violence faced by protesters. Many victims were disfigured, complicating family identification efforts. The images unveil a chilling reflection of state violence against dissenters, particularly during a deadly incident on January 9, when widespread protests turned violent.

Warning: this story contains graphic content which some readers might find distressing

Hundreds of photos revealing the faces of those killed during Iran's violent crackdown on anti-government protests have been leaked to BBC Verify.

The pictures, which are too graphic to show without blurring, reveal the bloodied, swollen and bruised faces of at least 326 victims - including 18 women. The images, displayed in a south Tehran mortuary, are one of the only ways families have been able to identify their dead loved ones.

Many of the victims were too disfigured to be identified, and 69 people had been labelled in Persian as John or Jane Doe, suggesting their identity was unknown when the photo was taken. Only 28 of the victims had labels with clearly visible names in the photos.

Labels on more than 100 victims, who had their date of death recorded, showed that date as 9 January, one of the deadliest nights for protesters in Tehran so far.

The city's streets were set on fire during clashes with security forces, with protesters chanting slogans against the supreme leader and the Islamic Republic. It followed a call for nationwide protests from Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late shah.

The leaked photos provide a small snapshot of the thousands believed to have been killed at the hands of the Iranian state.

BBC Verify has been tracking the spread of protests across Iran since they erupted in late December, but the near total internet blackout imposed by the authorities has made it extremely difficult to document the scale of the government's violence against those who oppose it.

Amid the chaos inside the mortuary, family members and friends were huddled together around a screen, trying to identify their loved ones while hundreds of images of the dead flicked across the screen.

One source reported the level of devastation they encountered inside the mortuary complex, revealing victims ranging from as young as 12 to those in their 60s and 70s. The emotional toll was profound, with relatives collapsing on discovering their loved ones among the deceased.

These images starkly illustrate the urgent need for accountability amidst escalating violence as Iran continues its crackdown on dissent.