“Two months have passed, two months in which it seems something is always missing, and I’m always dizzy. Two months with a new guest living in my head, two months in which I have been ashamed to send any posts or stories. This is because so many have lost their lives while I only lost an eye.” That is an excerpt from Rasul Kiarshpour, a protester in Rasht who lost an eye during the national uprising.”
“Dadban reported that police targeted the eyes of many protesters during the national uprising in Iran after Mahsa Amini was murdered by security officers. During the largest protest rally in the country’s history, some protesters lost one or both of their eyes or suffered severe injuries.”
“Kosar Eftehari, one of the female protesters who lost her eye in the protests, told Dadban about the incident: “On that day, the streets weren’t crowded. I saw an officer pointing his gun at me. The smile on his face when he shot me is still vivid in my memory.”
“Hossein Abdini, 20, was shot by security forces on September 21st 2022. Although he was quickly transferred to the hospital and underwent three surgeries, he lost his sight as a result. Unfortunately, he is unable to afford any further medical treatment.”
“We’re hearing about how many protesters are blinded. I was informed by a doctor at Farabi hospital that several hundred cases of Enucleation (the removal of the eye) have been carried out,” Mahmoud Alizadeh, a lawyer in Iran said in an interview.
Saman, another protester who lost his eye around Vali Asr Square, said: “I remember the officer who followed and shot me.” He intentionally pointed the gun at my eyes.”
Gazal Ranjkesh is one of the most well-known victims of the security forces’ deliberately shootings at protesters’ eyes. As she has been reporting on her condition, she has written on her Instagram account: “Why did you shoot me?” Why did you have a smile on your face?”
Despite reports that Iranian security forces intentionally targeted the eyes, commander Hasan Karami of the FARAJA specialized unit denied this claim. Special unit officers are professionals and do not harm protesters, according to him.
Iran Human Rights presented a report detailing the experiences of citizens who lost their eyesight as a result of shotguns and paintball bullets during national protests. They considered these shootings by government officials to be systematic.
This is not the first time security agents have targeted eyes in an attempt to suppress protests. According to reports from the Isfahan protests of 2022, at least 30 people sustained eye injuries. Doctors began to warn about these attacks during the revolutionary Women, Life, Freedom uprising due to the large number of victims.
There have been over 500 protesters admitted to three major hospitals in Tehran with eye injuries in recent days, according to ophthalmologists at Farabi, Rasool Akram, and Labbafinejad. In Kurdistan, this number was over 80, although some sources estimate that there are more than 1,000 victims. The injured protesters have not only been physically attacked on the streets, but also harassed by security agents at hospitals.
Iranian protester Sohail describes the moment he was shot. On November 16th, security officers opened fire on me on the Moali Abad Boulevard in Shiraz. My eye was hit by pellets while I was throwing stones. I asked my friends for help and they took me to the hospital. The pellet remains in my eye and if it moves, it can take my sight,” he says. “I was identified by plain-clothes officers in the hospital and my father was threatened by them to remain silent.”
Saman describes the treatment process for his eye: “After I was shot in the eye, I returned home. My eye felt dry, and it hurt throughout the night, tormenting me. The next day, I went to Farabi Hospital, where a number of officers were making a list and writing reports on the protesters. I left the hospital, and eventually the country.” According to human rights activists, aiming the shotguns at the protesters’ eyes is a crime that can permanently alter one’s life.
“Deliberately aiming at the protesters’ eyes is a violation of Article 3 of the law governing the use of weapons by security officers. According to this article, officers may only shoot when protests turn violent. They must refrain from shooting at the head or face, and aim below the waist,” jurist Moin Khazeli said. He asserted, “There is a legal right for those who have been injured to sue the perpetrators of the crime in the judicial system.”
Gazal Ranjkesh is one of the protesters who posted on Twitter about filing a complaint and demanding retribution. On December 31st she wrote: “I sued and demanded retribution for the thousands of eyes that have been injured, for those who have lost their eyes and are suffering.”
Another woman who has written about her injury on Instagram is psychiatrist Rahaleh Amiri. “I swear to the hope that shines in the darkness of despair, everything will be all right.”
Mohammed Ferzi, a content creator and one of those injured during the protests, stated, “I can still see with my eyes. I am going to get a temporary lens, and after surgery, I am going to have a permanent one.”
Elaheh Tavakkolian who calls herself ‘a girl from Khorasan’ has addressed the agent who shot her in the eye and said, “You aimed at my eyes, but my heart still beats.” my heart still beats.”
Helia Babai, a high school student that lost one of her eyes wrote on Instagram after the injury: “After being shot, despite the pain I felt content; for if any of these people is going to sacrifice his or her blood, mine should be sacrificed too.”
Niloofar Aghaee is a midwife and pregnancy consultant with curly hair and beautiful eyes. She was shot by the agents in the health professionals protest gathering in front of the Medical Council building.
“Strength is not merely a matter of words, it comes from within.”
The above is an excerpt from the writings of Elahe Tavakolian, a PhD student in business management who was blinded by a pellet wound in one eye.
In a recent post on Instagram, she wrote, “after three surgeries on my eye, I am still smiling. Even though I no longer have light in my eyes.”
“Scarier than losing the gift of sight would be seeing what is happening to our country in front of our eyes,” says Kimia Zand. Kimia lost one of her eyes in Iran protests after she was shot by security agents.
Farideh Salavatipour, a citizen from Sanandaj, was blinded by security forces on November 20th, 2022.
Yaser Alvandiani is an Iranian artist who works in marquetry, toreutics, and stucco. In addition, he holds national and provincial titles in wrestling, wushu, and rock-climbing. He lost one of his eyes during the protests in Iran.
Ali Mohamadi, 22, was shotin the eye by government forces on Taleghani Street in Hamedan on September 21st.
Koser Eftehari is a university student from Tabriz. Her eye was shot with a paintball bullet by security forces around the Enghelab Square in Tehran.
Another victim of the national uprising is Hossien Abedini, a 20-year-old styling and modeling professional. His left eye was blinded by a pellet on September 22nd. Since then, he has undergone three surgeries without receiving any positive results in the restoration of his sight.
Behzad Hamrahi, 43, was blinded in the left eye after the regime forces shot a paintball at his face while trying to impose a crackdown on mass protests.
“I have been unable to see for 68 days now.”
The 25-year-old Hossein Hosseinpour from Mahabad lost the sight in one of his eyes due to pellets fired during Iran protests. He wrote on Instagram, “I have been unable to see for 68 days. I was depressed in the first few days, but I soon realized that we have just begun. I have taken a new path and I have grown as a result. I will fight and reclaim my right, the rights of those whose blood have been shed and can no longer see the light. I won’t let those who have given their lives to this fight be trampled.”