On Friday, Amnesty International estimated that 161 protesters were killed in the crackdown on protests sparked by a gas price hike on 15 November in a country hit by a severe recession. A qualified figure of"Exaggerated" by the Iranian authorities Saturday, November 30.
"The statistics of international organizations on those who have been killed in recent incidents are not credible"Deputy Interior Minister Jamal Orf was quoted by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) as saying. These organizations "Exaggerate" the numbers, he accused. The prosecution has to announce a report based on figures it has received from the office of the medical examiner, said Orf, without specifying a date.
"Terrible attack on human life"
For the human rights organization, "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 non-governmental organization (NGO) claims to have 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".
Human Rights Watch said Wednesday that power had "Deliberately concealed" the death toll and arrests in the suppression of rallies that have won dozens of cities and lasted several days.
Testimonies collected by The world confirmed the violence of the response of the security services. One protester described, from a predominantly Kurdish town in the west of the country, three days of continuous shooting from 15 November and the deployment, in addition to the police forces, of Bassiji ("Volunteers") – Islamic militias – as well as guards of the revolution, the regime's backbone.
Serious economic crisis
The authorities repeat that the protest, during which service stations, police stations, mosques and public buildings were burned or attacked, is the result of a "Plot" hatched abroad. Iran is in the grip of a serious economic crisis, aggravated by the reestablishment and tightening of economic sanctions by the United States since 2018.
Gasoline is heavily subsidized in Iran, and the government has announced that revenues from the increase in the price at the pump (50% on the first sixty liters a month, price tripled afterwards) would be entirely paid to the less favored households. According to the IRNA, the first aid payments took place between 18 and 23 November.