Three from same family killed during protests in Iran
Three members of the same family were killed after their car came under fire from Iranian security forces in the city of Karaj, west of Tehran, during protests on Jan. 9, Iran International has learned.
The victims were identified as Bijan Mostafavi, a retired education worker, his wife Zahra Bani Amerian, a retired social security employee, and their 19-year-old son, Danial Mostafavi, a university student, a source close to the family said.
According to information received by Iran International, the family was inside their private vehicle when it was hit by heavy gunfire amid unrest in the area.
The couple’s older son, Davoud Mostafavi, was also in the car at the time, but there was no confirmed information about his condition at the time of publication.
Iran International has previously reported that at least 12,000 protesters were killed in Iran, mostly over two nights on Jan. 8 and 9.
Footage sent to Iran International from Kahrizak, south of Tehran, shows several dead bodies in body bags. According to eyewitness accounts accompanying the videos, dozens of bodies are visible at the site, with additional bodies reportedly located in another nearby industrial shed.
Videos earlier sent to Iran International from Fardis, Karaj, and Alghadir Hospital in eastern Tehran showed similar scenes of dead bodies falling on the ground, pointing to an unfolding mass killing that is not confined to a limited number of cities.
The internet shutdown that started on January 8 have made it impossible to obtain a full picture of events on the ground. However, the volume and consistency of incoming accounts suggest that lethal force is being widely used to disperse protesters.
The most conservative estimates indicate that at least 2,000 people have been killed over the past 48 hours. A doctor in the northern city of Rasht told Iran International that one hospital alone received at least 70 bodies.
