British-Iranian health worker shot multiple times in Iran protests

A British-Iranian health worker who took part in anti-regime protests in Tehran was shot multiple times at point-blank range by Iranian security forces using buckshot ammunition, according to The Guardian.

The individual, who has not been named for safety reasons, claims to have had five shotgun pellets lodged in his body since the October 2022 incident. Two senior British doctors who saw him in hospital confirmed that his injuries were consistent with his account.

The man said he had been protesting the assault of a teenage girl by security services in Tehran’s Shariati Street when he was attacked. He claims to have been hit with a police baton by a plainclothes officer, causing him to fall to the ground unarmed and losing consciousness.

At least two officers then fired semi-automatic shotguns at him, shooting him seven times in different parts of his body, including his chest, arm, leg, and back. Photos taken after the incident show gaping bullet wounds in his body up to three inches wide.

The man was treated by a team of doctors he knew for 17.5 hours, during which time he came close to death, according to one of the attending physicians. He has undergone several operations to remove pellets from his body, but five remain, some of which are lodged near vital nerves. His injuries have caused complications such as blood clots, low blood oxygen saturation, and fractures to his ribs. He is still unable to work or drive.

He says: “I nearly died in the process of treatment and had multiple complications such as [with my] ileum, blood clots or low [blood oxygen] saturation as well as fractures to my ribs. I only survived because fearless people helped me on the scene and brave doctors in Iran who took extreme risks for my survival.”

Now back in the UK, the victim added: “I would regard this treatment of an unarmed and non-violent protester such as myself as equivalent to a war crime. My treatment was really extreme and my best guess is that I am not the only person who has been hit like that, but maybe not everyone was lucky enough to survive to report how they have been treated.”

The brutality of the attack has raised further questions about the way in which the protests were policed, including the use of lethal force by security forces. The man believes he was targeted because he was an unarmed and non-violent protester. He regards his treatment as equivalent to a war crime.

The man left Iran on his passport, fearing arrest by the police if he sought medical treatment. He says he was concerned that his dual nationality would lead to accusations of being a British spy.

The incident has sparked outrage from human rights groups and raised concerns about the safety of protesters in Iran.