Iranian authorities have committed a “mass killing” in cracking down on the biggest protests against the Islamic republic in years, a rights group said on Sunday, as the government ordered counter-rallies in a bid to regain the initiative.
The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said it had confirmed the killing of at least 192 protesters but warned the actual death toll could already amount to several hundred, or even more. The IHR has an extensive network of sources in the country.
The protests, initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, have evolved into a movement against the theocratic system in place in Iran since the 1979 revolution. They have already lasted two weeks.
The protests have become one of the biggest challenges to the rule of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, coming in the wake of Israel’s 12-day war against the Islamic republic in June, which was backed by the United States.
Protests have swelled in recent days despite an internet blackout that has lasted more than 72 hours, according to monitor NetBlocks. Activists have warned that the shutdown is limiting the flow of information and that the actual toll risks being far higher.