Documentary reveals mass killing of over 40,000 Iranian protesters
On September 26, 2026, a four‑episode documentary titled “This Is Our Story – Voices From Iran’s January Protests” was released on Manoto’s YouTube channel, providing graphic, first‑hand video evidence of the Iranian security forces’ crackdown on anti‑government demonstrations that began in late December 2025 and intensified on January 8‑9, 2026.
The film is compiled from video recordings taken by ordinary Iranians between December 28, 2025 and mid‑January 2026, showing live‑fire gunshots, body bags filling hospitals and mortuaries, and families forced to identify loved ones in mass graves. The documentary is presented in Persian with English subtitles and is available for free streaming.
"Explosive" and "deeply moving," the documentary captures the emotional toll on a nation when thousands of body bags were placed in local hospitals and mortuaries, the reporter wrote.
According to the footage, security forces deployed tear gas, heavy machine guns and the Basij paramilitary militia against demonstrators across more than 200 cities in all 31 provinces. Estimates cited in the film put the death toll at around 40,000 civilians, including children and women, during the two‑day period of intense violence.
The documentary also documents the aftermath: overwhelmed hospitals, funerals that became rallying points for further dissent, and scenes of families searching for relatives among the dead. One survivor described the scene as a “powder keg ready to explode,” underscoring fears that the crackdown may sow the seeds for further unrest.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said he was “horrified” by the violence, while the UN Security Council expressed “deep alarm.”
International reaction has intensified following the film’s release. Human‑rights advocates point to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s recent finding that the mass killings constitute “crimes against humanity,” and they note ongoing reports of torture, solitary confinement and death sentences for dozens of detained protesters.
Richard Pollock, an investigative reporter for OAN, highlighted the documentary’s significance, noting that mainstream Western media had given little coverage to the events despite their scale. The film’s availability on a public platform aims to fill that gap and inform global audiences about the magnitude of the Iranian regime’s response.
As the anniversary of the January crackdown approaches, the documentary is expected to fuel further debate over possible diplomatic and humanitarian actions, while Iranian families continue to demand accountability and justice for the victims.
