Amnesty International believes the number of people killed in the ongoing protests in Iran has now reached 208 as of November 15, based on credible reports. It is also feared the real figure is likely to be higher.
Dozens of the deaths have been recorded in Shahriar city in Tehran province – one of the cities with the highest death tolls.
“This alarming death toll is further evidence that Iran’s security forces went on a horrific killing spree, that left at least 208 people dead in less than a week. This shocking death toll displays the Iranian authorities’ shameful disregard for human life,” said Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
According to information gathered by Amnesty International, families of victims have been threatened and warned not to speak to the media, or to hold funeral ceremonies for their loved ones. Some families are also being forced to make extortionate payments to have the bodies of their loved ones returned to them.
Extensive video footage verified and analysed by Amnesty International’s Digital Verification Corps shows security forces shooting at unarmed protesters.
Amnesty International compiled the death toll from reports whose credibility it has ascertained by interviewing a range of sources inside and outside Iran including victims’ relatives, journalists and human rights activists involved in gathering the information. It then crosschecked the information. (Source: Amnesty Intl.)