Dubai, Jan 20: A crackdown on demonstrators taking part in nationwide protests in Iran killed at least 4,029 people, activists said Tuesday.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency offered the toll, saying more than 26,000 people have been detained in the crackdown as well. It said of the dead, 3,786 were demonstrators, 180 security forces, 28 children and 35 were people not demonstrating.
The agency has been accurate in previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists on the ground to confirm each death. It fears many more may have been killed.
The AP has been unable to independently confirm the toll.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had his invitation to speak at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, withdrawn over the killings.
“Although he was invited last fall, the tragic loss of lives of civilians in Iran over the past few weeks means that it is not right for the Iranian government to be represented at Davos this year,” the forum said.
Araghchi denounced the decision, saying the forum “cancelled my appearance in Davos on the basis of lies and political pressure from Israel and its US-based proxies and apologists.”
The Munich Security Conference separately withdrew its invitation for Iranian government officials over the crackdown.
Iranian officials have not given a clear death toll, although on Saturday, the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the protests had left “several thousand” people dead and blamed the United States for the deaths.
It was the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualties from the wave of protests that began December 28 over Iran’s ailing economy.
Comments from officials have led to fears of some of those detained being put to death in Iran, one of the world’s top executioners.
“While the killers and seditious terrorists will be punished, Islamic mercy and leniency will be applied to those who were deceived and did not have (effective) roles in the terrorist event,” a statement Monday from Iran’s president, its judiciary chief and parliament speaker said. (AP)
