Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran

Tehran, Jan 19: Iranian authorities have verified that at least 5,000 people were killed during recent protests across the country, including around 500 members of the security forces, an Iranian official familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, blamed “terrorists and armed rioters” for the deaths of what he described as “innocent Iranians”. He said the heaviest clashes and the highest number of fatalities were reported from Iran’s Kurdish-majority regions in the northwest, where Kurdish separatist groups have been active and where unrest has historically turned violent.

According to the official, the overall death toll is not expected to rise sharply further. He also alleged that “Israel and armed groups abroad” had supported and equipped those participating in the protests. Iranian authorities have repeatedly accused foreign enemies of fomenting unrest, including Israel, which carried out military strikes on Iran in June.

In contrast, figures released by rights groups are significantly lower. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said on Saturday that it had documented 3,308 deaths so far, with another 4,382 cases still under verification. HRANA also reported that more than 24,000 people have been arrested in connection with the protests.

Meanwhile, the Norway-based Iranian Kurdish rights group Hengaw said Kurdish regions in northwest Iran were among the areas placed under heavy security measures during protests that erupted in late December.

The protests, triggered by economic distress and the sharp fall in the value of Iran’s currency, have seen widespread violence, including clashes between demonstrators and security forces and the burning of vehicles in major cities such as Tehran.