How Iran’s citizens documented the January massacres in new Manoto doc

Key Points:

• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed on Fox News that around 3,000 people died during Iran’s January uprising, including 500 security personnel, dismissing higher death toll reports as false and blaming “armed instigators” and foreign interference.
• Manoto TV’s four-part documentary, This Is Our Story, compiles over 10,000 videos filmed by ordinary Iranians during the protests, capturing the transition from economic grievances to widespread anti-regime demands and revealing the brutal crackdown by security forces.
• The documentary highlights the January 8 internet blackout imposed by the Iranian government, which severely hindered communication and obscured the scale of violence as security forces opened fire on protesters, with independent investigations confirming evidence of mass unlawful killings.
• Personal stories of victims like Alireza Rahimi and Sanam Pourbabaei humanize the death toll, while footage of funerals and mourning rituals underscores the public grief and growing calls for regime change.
• The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission concluded that the Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during the crackdown, making the documentary’s footage crucial evidence for international accountability efforts and challenging the regime’s official narratives.