More than 5,000 killed in Iran protests, says monitoring NGO

A U.S.-based human rights organization said Friday that more than 5,000 people have been killed during recent protests in Iran, mostly civilians gunned down by regime forces, in what is one of the most severe crackdowns recorded in the country in years.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported 5,002 confirmed deaths, of whom 4,714 were protesters, 42 minors, 207 members of security forces and 39 bystanders. The organization added that it is still investigating another 9,787 possible deaths, so the final toll could be significantly higher.

HRANA and other NGOs noted that their verification work has been severely hampered by the internet blackout imposed by Iranian authorities since Jan. 8, making it difficult to access testimonies, images and medical records. According to these organizations, the real death toll could be far higher than the data confirmed so far.

More than 26,852 people arrested

In addition, HRANA reported that at least 26,852 people have been detained as part of the crackdown, a figure that far exceeds the official numbers released by the Iranian regime.

Tehran authorities, meanwhile, have acknowledged 3,117 deaths, according to a report released Wednesday by the Iran Martyrs and Veterans Foundation, a state agency that classifies the victims as "martyrs"—members of the security forces or civilians considered innocent—and "rioters" allegedly backed by the United States. Of that total, 2,427 were listed as "martyrs," according to the official account.

HRANA questioned that figure and said Iranian authorities "attempted to solidify the government’s official narrative regarding the killings," stressing that most of the dead documented by the NGO were unarmed protesters.

Another organization, Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Norway, claimed to have documented the deaths of at least 3,428 protesters at the hands of security forces. However, it warned that the total number of fatalities could be as many as 25,000, once it manages to verify information currently inaccessible due to censorship and restrictions imposed by the regime.

The protests, driven by economic deterioration and political discontent, have become the biggest demonstrations in Iran in years, as international pressure grows to hold the regime accountable for allegations of systematic human rights violations.