On the eve of the Nowruz holiday, the Iranian government, in an official report, stated that 281 Iranians were killed during the protests that swept through the country following the death of Kurdish activist Mahsa Amini in September 2022.
The report comes 10 days after the release of a report by the United Nations Human Rights Council confirming serious human rights violations in Iran due to the authorities’ campaign to suppress the protests. Reliable figures indicate that up to 551 protesters were killed by security forces, including at least 49 women and 68 children, according to UN experts, with most deaths resulting from firearms.
However, the initial report issued yesterday by the Fact-Finding Committee, formed by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, indicated that only 202 civilians were killed in the protests. It noted that “90 individuals carried and used weapons in terrorist acts and attacks on military, security, and infrastructure facilities or law enforcement forces (police).”
The committee’s report also pointed out that “112 of the victims were among the bystanders killed by rioters,” adding that “54 law enforcement personnel were killed as a result of widespread violence by rioters and terrorists.”
The report mentioned the arrest of 34,000 individuals in the early days of the protests, with the majority subsequently released. It also reiterated accusations made by Iranian officials against the United States, its Western allies, and the Iranian opposition for allegedly steering the protests toward violence.
