A US-based rights group, HRANA, claims over 6,000 people have been killed during protests in Iran.
HRANA reports thousands of deaths and mass arrests as Iranian authorities dispute figures.
A human rights group has said that more than 6,000 people have been killed during protests in Iran. The group says these deaths happened because security forces used force against protesters.
According to a US-based group called Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), they have confirmed the deaths of 6,126 people so far. This includes 5,777 protesters, 86 children, 214 security personnel, and 49 bystanders. The group also said that it is still investigating more than 17,000 possible deaths.
The protests in Iran started in late December because of economic problems. Later, they turned into a large movement against the Islamic Republic. Big street protests were seen on 8 and 9 January, which were the largest in recent years. For now, the protests have slowed down.
“The violence is deeply alarming and needs attention,” HRANA said.
Rights groups have accused Iranian authorities of a very harsh crackdown. They say security forces directly fired at protesters. NGOs also said it has been hard to collect exact numbers because the internet was shut down for almost three weeks. Because of this, the real number of deaths may be much higher.
HRANA also reported that at least 41,880 people have been arrested so far. The group warned that arrests are still continuing. It also raised concerns that injured protesters are being arrested from hospitals. Activists say security forces are raiding hospitals to find injured protesters, but the health ministry has denied this and said people should not be afraid to seek medical help.
Iranian authorities have given a much lower official number. Last week, they said 3,117 people were killed, mostly security personnel and bystanders. However, another group, Iran Human Rights (IHR), says it has recorded at least 3,428 protesters killed and warned that the final death toll could reach up to 25,000.
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Overall, human rights groups say the situation in Iran is very serious, with mass arrests, heavy force, and strict control over information still continuing.
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