A grim toll is emerging as the internet blackout drags on. Human rights activists say no fewer than 4,500 people have been killed across Iran since nationwide protests erupted in late December.
According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 4,519 deaths have been verified so far, with more than 9,000 cases still under investigation. The reported toll includes 4,251 protesters and 197 members of the security forces.
With Iran’s internet shutdown still largely in place, only fragments of images and videos are surfacing—slowly exposing the scale of the violent crackdown, particularly during clashes on January 8 and 9.
HRANA also raised disturbing concerns after medical experts reviewed footage showing bodies with catheters and breathing tubes, suggesting some injured protesters may have died after receiving medical treatment and possibly after being removed from hospitals without official confirmation of death.
Iranian authorities have blamed “terrorist elements” and foreign enemies, including the U.S. and Israel, for the unrest. These claims, however, remain impossible to independently verify amid the ongoing communications blackout.
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