Sixteen days into a nationwide wave of protests against the Iranian government, at least 648 demonstrators have reportedly been killed, according to human rights organizations. The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) reported on Monday that thousands more have sustained injuries, with unconfirmed accounts suggesting the death toll could be significantly higher, exceeding 6,000.
Verification of these figures remains acutely challenging due to an internet blockade implemented on January 8th and severe restrictions on access to information within Iran. Estimates place the number of individuals arrested during the recent demonstrations at over 10,000, reflecting the government’s increasingly forceful response to the unrest.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, Director of IHRNGO, delivered a stark warning, stating, “The widespread killing of civilian protesters by the Islamic Republic in recent days recalls the regime’s crimes in the 1980s, which have been recognized as crimes against humanity”. The organization highlighted a grave threat of mass executions and extrajudicial killings of demonstrators, with an initial execution related to the protests already slated for the coming days. This prospect underscores a deepening crisis of human rights within the nation.
The IHRNGO is urgently calling on the international community to take decisive action to protect civilian demonstrators from further bloodshed at the hands of the Iranian government and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This appeal specifically targets democratic nations, urging them to remind their respective governments of their responsibility to intervene.
The current unrest, initiated on December 28th within the Tehran bazaar due to deteriorating economic conditions, quickly escalated and spread across the country, fueled by anti-government slogans and widespread discontent. Prior to the imposed digital blackout, observers report that the protests encompassed all 31 Iranian provinces and approximately 120 cities.
Notably, counter-demonstrations are now appearing, a phenomenon that allows for relatively unrestricted media coverage – a stark contrast to the earlier, information-constrained environment. Reports from locations like Enqelab Square in Tehran detailed gatherings of hundreds displaying official Islamic Republic flags, accompanied by security forces. The emergence of these seemingly pro-government demonstrations raises complex questions about the nature and extent of state orchestration within the broader protests and potentially underscores a deepening societal fracture.
