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After shocking police brutality video goes viral, Iranian officials pledge to investigate

Video depicts Iranian police brutally beating unarmed protester, then running over his body with a motorcycle.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

A video depicting brutal police violence against an Iranian demonstrator during the ongoing anti-Islamic regime protests in the country sparked a rare public statement from the authorities, who promised they will investigate the incident.

The video, which went viral on Farsi language social media and was later reposted by Amnesty International Iran’s Twitter account, shows around a dozen policemen brutally beating an unarmed man who is lying prone on the ground.

The man is initially seen attempting to protect his head, but appears to lose consciousness while the attack continues. After the physical beating stops, a police officer on a motorcycle runs over the man’s body, before speeding off. The police disperse without rendering aid to the man.

It’s unknown if the man survived the incident.

“This shocking video sent from Tehran today is another horrific reminder that the cruelty of Iran’s security forces knows no bounds. Amid a crisis of impunity, they’re given free rein to brutally beat and shoot protesters,” read a statement from Amnesty Iran, which also encouraged the United Nation’s Human Rights Council to investigate.

In a statement published by Iranian state-owned news agency IRNA, police pledged to “investigate the exact time and place of the incident and identify the offenders.”

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“The police absolutely do not approve of violent and unconventional behavior and will deal with the offenders according to the rules,” the statement added.

The Islamic Republic has been embroiled in widespread protests for around six weeks, following the death of a 22-year-old woman who had been arrested by the morality police for allegedly improperly wearing her mandatory hijab.

Iranian officials have used live fire to squash the unrest, and human rights groups estimate that at least 250 protesters have been killed by police since mid-September.

The Iranian government attributed the protests to a global conspiracy launched by foreign intelligence agencies, including the CIA, Israel’s Mossad, and a Saudi security agency.