The death toll from Iran’s ongoing crackdown on anti-government protests has risen to at least 2,571, according to figures released early Wednesday by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
The rights group said that of the total deaths recorded so far, 2,403 were protesters, while 147 were government-affiliated individuals. The toll also includes 12 children and nine civilians who were reportedly not participating in the demonstrations. More than 18,100 people have been detained since the unrest began, the group added.
With internet services largely shut down across Iran, verifying developments on the ground has become increasingly difficult. International media outlets, including the Associated Press, said they have been unable to independently confirm the figures. Iranian authorities have not released any comprehensive data on casualties linked to the protests.
Activists said the scale of the deaths far exceeds that of any previous wave of unrest in Iran in recent decades, drawing comparisons with the turmoil surrounding the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Protests have continued despite the crackdown, even as access to information remains restricted and uncertainty surrounds the true extent of the violence.
