US-based NGO reports thousands dead after Iran protests

A US-based rights group said on Monday it had confirmed the deaths of nearly 6,000 people following the protest movement that shook Iran earlier this month before being violently suppressed.

According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 5,848 people have been killed so far, including 5,520 protesters, 77 minors, 209 members of the security forces and 42 bystanders. 

The organization said it is also investigating more than 17,000 additional possible deaths.

Human rights groups warn the real toll could be far higher, noting that verification efforts have been severely hampered by the nationwide internet shutdown imposed on January 8. The blackout began as demonstrations, initially sparked in December by traders protesting economic hardship, spread across the country, becoming the Islamic Republic’s most serious challenge since 1979.

HRANA also reported at least 41,283 arrests. More than two weeks later, Iran remains largely cut off from the global internet, according to NetBlocks, which said the shutdown appears aimed at concealing the scale of the crackdown.

Iranian authorities last week released their first official death toll of 3,117, most of whom they described as security forces or bystanders. 

Other organizations dispute that figure. Iran Human Rights says at least 3,428 protesters have been killed and fears the total could reach 25,000, while opposition broadcaster Iran International claims the death toll may exceed 36,500, citing leaked documents and security sources.