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Smuggled X-Rays Reveal Iranian Forces Shot Point-Blank at Protesters
(Guardian-UK) Tess McClure - More than 75 sets of medical images - primarily X-rays and CT scans - were shared with the Guardian from one hospital in a major city in Iran, taken over the course of a single evening during the regime's January crackdown on protesters. They tell of the deadly violence inflicted on protesters and onlookers by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). They provide further evidence that guards switched from traditional "crowd control" to opening fire with high-caliber assault rifles and shotguns. The records present a pattern of people being shot in the face, chest and genitals. Many of the images reveal catastrophic injuries that may be fatal. Medical experts note that the images would only reflect patients who have survived to the point where doctors are able to administer detailed scans. Most people shot by a high-caliber round to the head, for example, wouldn't have got a CT scan. X-rays of the chest of one patient show 174 metal pellets sprayed into his right chest cavity, the metal balls tightly packed, indicating he was shot at extremely close range. His risk of death would be very high, medical experts say.