According to the Iranian authorities, the unrest in Iran has resulted in only five deaths, including one civilian death. A report that Amnesty International is challenging. At least 143 people were killed by security forces in the protest movement that rocked Iran earlier in November, the organization said on Monday (November 25th), raising its balance sheet by at least 106. protesters killed.
"The international community must denounce the intentional use of lethal force by the Iranian security forces", writes the human rights NGO in a statement. "The deaths have almost all been caused by the use of firearms", said the statement, noting that a man would "Dead after inhaling tear gas" and "Another one after being hit". Amnesty International thinks "That the balance sheet is much heavier and continues to investigate".
Tehran says it has brought calm after several days of angry protests and violence that erupted on November 15, just hours after the announcement of a surprise gas price hike, in the midst of the economic crisis triggered by the recovery and recession. tightening since 2018 of American sanctions against Iran.
"Terrible testimonies"
For Amnesty, "The rising death toll is an alarming indication of the brutality with which the Iranian authorities have treated unarmed protesters, and reveals an appalling attack on human life". The NGO says it compiled "Terrible testimonies of witnesses and relatives of the victims" and analyzed and verified videos "Clearly showing that the Iranian security forces intentionally used firearms against unarmed protesters who posed no lethal threat".
Amnesty speaks of images showing that "Protesters were shot dead while running away"and said that he had received information indicating that "In some cases, the authorities refused to return the bodies of the victims to their families". "In others, members of the security forces have taken bodies out of the morgue and transferred them to unknown places", adds the text. According to the NGO, the province with the highest number of casualties is Khuzestan (south-west), with 40 deaths, Kermanshah (west) – 34 dead, and Tehran – 20 dead.
The announcement comes as a large crowd marched in Tehran in support of the regime on Monday. The day before, and while the Internet was still inaccessible to many mobile phone users, an SMS had been sent calling "The wise and revolutionary people of Tehran" to join the rally of the Enghelab Square (Revolution in Persian) and to condemn "American-Zionist riots".
