Over 4,000 killed, 26,000 detained: Activists expose scale of Iran’s protest bloodshed
Dubai: At least 4,029 people have been killed in a sweeping crackdown on demonstrators involved in nationwide protests across Iran, according to activists who released the figures on Tuesday.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said more than 26,000 people have also been detained. Of those killed, the group reported that 3,786 were protesters, 180 were members of the security forces, 28 were children, and 35 were individuals not taking part in demonstrations.
The agency, which has previously provided reliable data during periods of unrest in Iran, said it verifies each death through a network of activists inside the country. It warned that the true death toll may be significantly higher. The Associated Press (AP) has not been able to independently verify the figures.
The scale of the deaths surpasses that of any previous wave of protests or unrest in Iran in recent decades, evoking memories of the turmoil surrounding the 1979 revolution.
Meanwhile, Iran's internet crackdown has entered the twelfth day, according to the monitoring group NetBlocks, with national connectivity remaining "minimal".
Hackers express support for exiled Crown Prince
Hackers briefly hijacked Iranian state television’s satellite broadcasts early Monday, airing footage in support of the country’s exiled crown prince and urging security forces not to “point your weapons at the people,” according to videos circulating online.
The footage appeared late Sunday across several satellite channels operated by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, the country’s state media network. The broadcast featured two clips of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, followed by images of security personnel and others wearing what looked like Iranian police uniforms. The video asserted, without providing evidence, that some members of the security forces had “laid down their weapons and sworn allegiance to the people.”
One on-screen message addressed the military and security services directly. “Don’t point your weapons at the people. Join the nation for the freedom of Iran,” it stated.
The semiofficial Fars news agency, which is widely seen as close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, quoted a statement from the state broadcaster acknowledging that satellite signals in “some areas of the country were briefly disrupted by an unknown source.” The statement did not specify what content was transmitted.
Pahlavi’s office later confirmed that the disruption included footage of the exiled crown prince but declined to answer questions from The Associated Press about the incident. The extent of Pahlavi’s support inside Iran remains unclear, although chants in favor of the former shah have been heard during demonstrations and in nighttime protests since the crackdown began.
Foreign Minister's Davos invitation withdrawn
The reported killings have had international repercussions. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had his invitation to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos withdrawn. In a statement, the forum said that while Araghchi had been invited last fall, the recent civilian deaths made it inappropriate for Iran to be represented at this year’s event.
Araghchi condemned the decision, accusing the forum of canceling his appearance “based on lies and political pressure from Israel and its US-based proxies and apologists.”
Separately, the Munich Security Conference also withdrew invitations to Iranian government officials over the crackdown.Tensions between Israel and Iran have also been escalating, especially after Israel allegedly conducted a nuclear test on January 16, causing quakes across southern Israel and beyond.
Top leaders announce punishment for 'terrorist acts'
In a joint statement issued Monday, Iran’s president, the head of the judiciary and the speaker of parliament said those responsible for killings and what they described as terrorist acts would be punished, while “Islamic mercy and leniency” would be shown to those deemed misled and not directly involved.
Though Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that the protests had resulted in “several thousand” deaths, placing blame on the United States.
His remarks marked the first acknowledgment by a senior Iranian leader of the scale of the casualties since demonstrations erupted on December 28 over the country’s struggling economy.
Statements from Iranian officials have raised concerns that some detainees could face execution in Iran, which already ranks among the world’s leading executioners.
AP