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Iran offered its first government-issued death toll Wednesday following its crackdown on nationwide protests, giving a far lower figure than activists abroad as the country’s theocracy tries to reassert control.
State television carried statements by the Interior Ministry and the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, an official body providing services to families of those killed in wars, saying 3,117 people were killed.
It added that 2,427 of the dead in the demonstrations were civilians and security forces, but did not elaborate on the rest. Iran’s government in the past has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said early on Thursday that the death toll was at least 4,902, with many more feared dead.
The human rights group has been accurate throughout the years on demonstrations and unrest in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities.
Authorities have cut access to the internet and blocked international calls into the country, making it difficult to assess the death toll from abroad.
Iran also reportedly has limited journalists’ ability locally to report on the aftermath, instead repeatedly airing claims on state television that refer to demonstrators as “rioters” motivated by America and Israel, without offering evidence to support the allegation.
The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution that brought the Islamic Republic into being.
Although there have been no protests for days, there are fears the toll could increase significantly as information gradually emerges.
Nearly 26,500 people have also been arrested, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Comments from officials have led to fears of some of those detained being put to death in Iran, one of the world’s top executioners.
Additional sources • AP