Tehran is now acknowledging for the first time a death toll in the thousands
By Sammy,
Tehran is now acknowledging for the first time a death toll in the thousands, with an Iranian official telling Reuters that about 2,000 people have been killed since the unrest erupted. The official claims the casualties were the result of actions by "terrorists" who targeted civilians and members of the security forces.
Those remarks come as the United Nations' human rights chief issues a sharp rebuke of the authorities, saying he is horrified by the growing number of protesters being killed. Volker Türk says that portraying demonstrators as "terrorists" to justify violence is unacceptable and urges an end to what he describes as the use of brutal force to silence legitimate calls for change.
At the same time, an Iranian opposition outlet is disputing the government's figure, alleging that internal sources point to as many as 12,000 deaths so far, though that claim has not been independently verified.
Topics: Iran
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.