Paris,
The true number of people killed during recent protests in Iran remains uncertain, with sharply differing estimates from rights groups, media outlets and Iranian officials, amid severe restrictions on access to information inside the country.
Human rights organisations say efforts to verify casualties have been hampered by a nationwide internet shutdown imposed by Iranian authorities earlier this month. As a result, most figures published so far represent minimum confirmed cases rather than a comprehensive count.
The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights says it has verified the deaths of more than 3,400 protesters, based on information confirmed through independent sources and limited data obtained from within Iran’s health system. The organisation has warned that the actual toll could be significantly higher, with some estimates ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 deaths, though it says verification has become increasingly difficult.
Another group, Human Rights Activists in Iran, reported nearly 2,700 confirmed deaths by mid-January and said hundreds of additional cases were still under investigation. The group also documented thousands of serious injuries.
Media outlets operating outside Iran have cited higher figures. The London-based broadcaster Iran International said information from senior government and security sources suggested that at least 12,000 people were killed during the unrest. US broadcaster CBS News cited sources indicating the toll could be as high as 20,000, though those claims could not be independently verified.
Iranian officials have strongly disputed such estimates. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the number of deaths was in the “hundreds” and dismissed reports from abroad as exaggerated. While authorities have acknowledged the deaths of dozens of security personnel, no updated official total for civilian casualties has been released.
International organisations have expressed alarm. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he was horrified by reports of violence against protesters, noting indications that many hundreds had been killed. Amnesty International described the crackdown as a massacre, while Human Rights Watch said thousands of protesters and bystanders were believed to have died, accusing authorities of concealing the scale of the violence.
A UN spokesperson said the organisation was receiving reports suggesting levels of violence not seen in previous protests in Iran. With communications still restricted, observers say it may take considerable time before a clearer picture emerges of the human cost of the unrest.
