‘Mapping Iran’s Bloody November Atrocities: Sirjan’ report is the first in a series of reports summarising the findings of Justice for Iran’s investigations into the violations that took place in the context of the November 2019 nationwide protests in Iran. The organisation commences the series with publishing its findings on the authorities’ use of lethal force in the city of Sirjan, Kerman Province. According to the existing evidence, the city witnessed the first confirmed case of killing during the final hours of the first day of the protests.
This series of reports relies on a range of materials and evidence that have been thoroughly examined in order to construct a chronological narrative of the incidents of use of lethal or less lethal force – referred to as “incidents” – by state forces during the November 2019 nationwide protests. The reports establish the timeline of events in each city, the exact location of the ‘incidents’, the type of force used by state forces, and individuals and institutions who must be investigated for their responsibility in commissioning gross human rights violations and international crimes. They further examine the authorities’ narrative and claims with regards to the use of lethal force.
Justice for Iran’s findings published in this series primarily rest on publicly available information, such as audio-visual material, official statements, and reports of state-affiliated media. Audio-visual material, including extensive video footage from the protests, posted on social media platforms such as Twitter, as well as those available on news websites, have been verified and analysed to establish the chronology of events, identification of forces involved in the use of lethal force against protestors and bystanders, and the causes and circumstances of the killings. Justice for Iran has also spoken to sources with knowledge of the violations, including eyewitnesses, informed local sources and relatives of victims. In some instances, the organisation has also been able to examine documentary evidence such as death certificates.
Justice for Iran’s research and documentation of the protests, as the following pages will show, reveal that grave violations of international law were committed at the hands of state forces. All individuals suspected of criminal responsibility for violations that took place in the context of the November 2019 protests, including the unlawful killings of protestors and bystanders, must be prosecuted in proceedings that conform to international fair trial standards and do not involve the use of the death penalty.
To read the full report, click here.
