UN Investigator Condemns Blinding of Protesters in Iran

Sara Hossain, a Bangladeshi member of the United Nations fact-finding mission on suppression of Iran's 2022-23 protests, has called the deliberate targeting of protesters' eyes at close range "one of the most shocking" crimes committed by the Islamic Republic. 

"The most shocking, I think, was these cases of blindness of protesters being shot at very short range, directly targeted into the eye," she told IranWire in Geneva. 

"And that's resulted in hundreds of people, again, women and young people included, who are now permanently blinded, permanently marked for nothing more than going out in the streets of their own country to speak about grievances they have," she added. 

Hundreds of Iranians have sustained severe eye injuries after being hit by pellets, tear gas canisters, paintball bullets, or other projectiles used by security forces amid a bloody crackdown on four months of primarily peaceful anti-government demonstrations.

The exact number of traumatic injuries to protesters' eyes is unknown, but Iranian doctors are reportedly overwhelmed by the number of ocular trauma cases, which include ruptured globes, severed optic nerves, and damaged retinas.

The UN report found that Iranian security forces used shotguns, assault rifles, and submachine guns against demonstrators "in situations where there was no imminent threat of death or serious injury" to them, "thereby committing unlawful and extrajudicial killings."

"I think one of the most disturbing was how the immediate response to the protests happened, which was the use of very heavy weaponry, including AK-47, to fire on protesters and then all the civilians," Hossain said.

She further addressed the challenges faced by the fact-finding committee in gathering evidence, citing disrupted communication channels and the intimidation and harassment faced by many victims.

"The committee's investigation revealed that the security forces of the Islamic Republic employed unnecessary and arbitrary force, resulting in the illegal killing and injuring of protesters," Hossain affirmed.

The report issued by the UN fact-finding mission confirmed that numerous protesters, including women, men, and children, suffered extensive eye injuries, leaving them permanently blind and marked for life as protesters.

Calling for global attention to the crimes committed by the Islamic Republic, Hussain emphasized, "I hope that the international community will take this seriously."

Hossain expressed disappointment over the lack of meaningful cooperation from Iranian authorities with the investigation, despite repeated requests for information.

In response to threats faced by victims and their families, Hossain noted, "While many overcame their fear and spoke to us, the atmosphere of intimidation undoubtedly affected our efforts."

Regarding the UN report's findings on Mahsa Amini's death and the mandatory hijab laws, Hussain emphasized the unique and troubling nature of Iran's implementation of hijab regulations, which she said flagrantly violate recognized human rights principles.