Over 1000 die in Iran petrol price protests

IRAN’s opposition in exile has claimed the death toll in protests in almost 200 cities across the country has risen to more than 1000.

The People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran said reports from the Iranian Resistance inside the country indicated that regime’s State Security Force alone had recorded 1029 deaths connected to the protests.

Iranian state television has acknowledged that security forces shot and killed what it called “rioters” in multiple cities amid growing protests over the 50% spike in government-set petrol prices.

This was the first time the authorities offered any sort of accounting for the violence they used to put down the demonstrations.

Amnesty International said on Monday that it believed at least 208 people had been killed in the protests and the crackdown that followed.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations disputed Amnesty’s findings, though it offered no evidence to support its claim.

Iran has yet to release any nationwide statistics over the unrest.

Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said the world had to condemn the “horrific crime against humanity, take action to stop it and free all prisoners”. She said inaction was “inexcusable” and would be seen by the Iranian regime as a “green light to continue and intensify its crimes”.

The NCRI said a large number of teenagers were among those killed as the regime used heavy artillery, helicopters and tanks “to suppress the protests”, describing it as “one of the most horrific crimes of the 21st century”.