The death toll from the crackdown on protests in Iran has risen sharply, and according to UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato, the total number may exceed 20,000.
Points of attention
- The death toll from the Iran protests has risen sharply, with UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato estimating it may exceed 20,000.
- HRANA has confirmed 5,002 deaths during the protests, and over 26,000 people have been arrested, sparking concerns over human rights violations.
More than 20,000 Iranians died during the suppression of protests
The Human Rights Watch (HRANA) has confirmed 5,002 deaths during the unrest that erupted in late December. The agency is currently verifying 9,787 more cases. At the same time, more than 26,000 people have been arrested during the protests.
Human rights groups trying to assess the true scale of the loss of life in Iran's crackdown on some of the largest demonstrations since the 1979 revolution have faced ongoing restrictions on access to the internet and telecommunications.
As the publication notes, the protests in Iran were provoked by the collapse of the national currency, and then spread throughout the country with calls for the overthrow of the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian authorities first released their own death toll figures on Wednesday, January 21, reporting 3,117 deaths, of which 2,427 are believed to be "innocent civilians and security forces personnel."
It is noted that the international fact-finding mission, launched after anti-government protests in Iran in 2022, is to investigate potential crimes against humanity by the Iranian state during the current events.
