Amnesty International reports that at least 106 protesters have been killed since the start of the revolt in the country. The UN speaks of “dozens of deaths”.
It is now more than sixty-eight hours since Iran has been cut off from the world. Since Sunday morning, the Iranian authorities have blocked the Internet, making it virtually impossible any communication WhatsApp or Telegram between the country and abroad. Only rare images still testify to the protest that has shaken the country since the surprise announcement by the government of the rise in the price of gasoline on November 15, and the widespread repression that ensued.
According to a report by the Iranian intelligence service, quoted by the Fars news agency , 87,000 people took part in the demonstrations in a hundred cities of Iran, mainly in the provinces of Khuzestan (South), Fars (South ), Tehran and Kerman (center). Nearly 1,000 people were reportedly arrested across the country and 100 public buildings were reportedly damaged. Indeed, on several videos sent this weekend in Iran, we see protesters blame official buildings, banks and other gas stations.
Regarding the number of casualties, the semi-governmental media report a death toll of five deaths: four members of the police – a guardian of the revolution (the ideological army of Iranian power), two militiamen Bassidji and a police – were killed by “rioters”, and only one civilian would have died Saturday in Sirjan (South). In addition, other official news agencies mention the death of six other people, without specifying their identity or the conditions of their deaths.
هشدار: حاوی تصاویر و صداهای ناراحتکننده
— BBC NEWS فارسی (@bbcpersian) November 16, 2019
بر اساس تصاویر و گفتههای مخاطبان بیبیسی در زینبیه اصفهان یک فرد مجروح شده است.
از شدت جراحت و وضعیت او اطلاعی نداریم.
گزارشهای ارسال شده به بیبیسی فارسی حاکی است که تعداد کشتهشدگان اعتراضهای روز شنبه افزایش یافته است.#بنزین pic.twitter.com/yRbtS5KWgf
However, several videos show the lifeless bodies of protesters lying on the ground, in a pool of blood, in the cities of Shiraz or Isfahan, while other images indicate that the police used live ammunition against protesters across the country. For example, foreign-based Iranian media, including the BBC Persian , report unconfirmed balance sheets that are otherwise heavier, with the death of 200 people.
For now, the Iranian government has indicated through its spokesman Ali Rabii that the executive “needed time” to provide a “final assessment” of the victims. In the meantime, the human rights organization Amnesty International said Tuesday night that it had “credible information” that “at least 106 protesters were killed in 21 cities in Iran.” The NGO says it relies on “verified video footage, testimonials from people in the field and information” from human rights activists outside Iran. But, according to her, “the actual toll could be much higher, with information suggesting up to 200 [people] killed”.