More than 500 people have been killed during two weeks of protests in Iran, according to a US based human rights activist group, as authorities continue to withhold official casualty figures.
Activists’ claims
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which is based in the United States, said the death toll from the unrest has surpassed 500.
According to the latest figures, based on testimony from activists inside and outside Iran, 490 protesters and 48 members of the security forces have been killed. The same sources report around 10,000 arrests.
No independent confirmation
Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the figures through separate sources. Iranian authorities have not released official data on fatalities from the unrest, which they attribute to “rioters” allegedly encouraged by foreign powers.
Source: APE–MPE / Reuters