Protests in Iran: more than 50 people died, including children

On Friday, protesters took to the streets of Iranian cities for the 13th day in a row, despite the authorities’ threats of tough measures and reports that security forces opened fire and killed demonstrators in the past day. More than 50 people died during the protests.

Source: The Times of Israel, Reuters

Details: More than 51 protesters have been killed in 13 days of protests in Iran, fueled by anger against the regime and the rising cost of living, the Norwegian NGO Iran Human Rights said on Friday.

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“At least 51 protesters, including nine children under the age of 18, have been killed and hundreds injured in the first thirteen days of a new round of nationwide protests in Iran,” the NGO Iran Human Rights said, raising the previous figure of 45 released a day earlier.

However, the Iranian human rights group HRANA said on Friday that it had recorded at least 62 deaths, including 14 security forces and 48 protesters.

US President Donald Trump, who bombed Iran last summer and warned Tehran last week that the US could support the protesters, issued another warning on Friday, saying: “You better not start shooting because we’re going to start shooting too.”

“I just hope that the protesters in Iran will be safe, because it’s a very dangerous place right now,” he added.

In a televised address, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to back down, accusing the demonstrators of acting in the interests of opposition groups abroad and the United States, while a prosecutor threatened the protesters with the death penalty.

Iran’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies said the decision to shut down the Internet was made by “competent security authorities in view of the current situation in the country.”

Videos released by state television allegedly showed burning buses, cars and motorcycles, as well as fires in underground subway stations and banks.

Video verified by Reuters showed hundreds of people protesting in Tehran. On one of them, a woman could be heard shouting: “Death to Khamenei!”.

Other slogans included calls for support for the monarchy, which was overthrown in 1979.

The leaders of France, Great Britain and Germany issued a joint statement on Friday, condemning the killings of protesters and calling on the Iranian authorities to refrain from violence.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the United Nations is very concerned about the loss of life.

We will remind:

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended citizens of Ukraine to leave Iran due to the worsening security situation in the country.
• Mass protests have been ongoing in Iran since December 28. Initially, due to the collapse of the national currency and huge inflation, the traders at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran staged a strike. Then the protests covered almost the entire country. After 10 days, two cities in the west of Iran came under the control of the protesters.
• Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei admitted that there are economic problems, but explained them as “the work of the enemy”. He also stated that “it’s useless to talk with rioters” and they “need to be put in their place.”