How EU-made shotgun cartridges ended up being used to repress protests in Iran
Photographs sent to the FRANCE 24 Observers team in October and November 2022 show shotgun cartridges recovered from protests in Iran. The cartridges bear the logos of Cheddite, a Franco-Italian ammunition manufacturer. © ObserversAn investigation by the FRANCE 24 Observers team has found evidence that shotgun cartridges manufactured by French-Italian manufacturer Cheddite have been used in the repression of protests in Iran. Shotgun cartridges using Cheddite components have been widely used for hunting purposes in Iran since at least 2011, an apparent violation of EU sanctions that went into place that year.
In its investigation, the FRANCE 24 Observers team asked Iranians to send photographs of spent ammunition recovered from protests repressed by Iran’s security forces since the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16. The team analysed more than 100 photos and videos showing tear gas canisters, rifle bullets, paintball projectiles and cartridges from shotguns, which have been widely used by Iran’s security forces. While most of the shotgun shells photographed were made in Iran, 13 shells recovered from eight different Iranian cities bore Cheddite logos.
Cheddite-branded shotgun shells have been widely used by Iranian hunters for years. A member of Iran’s security forces told the FRANCE 24 Observers that his unit is sometimes issued with hunting cartridges.
>> Read more on The Observers: How Iran’s security forces are shooting to kill with ‘non-combat’ shotgun shells
Cheddite has factories in Italy and France, with headquarters in Livorno, Italy and Bourg-lès-Valence, France. The company claims to be the world’s largest maker of empty shotgun cartridges and firing caps, producing more than a billion empty cartridges every year. The company manufactures empty cartridges with plastic casings and metal bases that contain a spark-producing primer, and sells them to other manufacturers who fill the cartridges with explosive powder and pellets or other projectiles.
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