An Iranian state agency has said nearly 200 people have been killed in the unrest that has raged in the country since mid-September.
“As many as 200” protesters, civilians and security forces are among the dead in connection with demonstrations in Iran that have been going on for more than two months and were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, the Islamic Republic’s state-run news agency reported (IRNA), without giving an exact number.
The IRNA cited a statement by the “National Security Council,” a body made up of members of the police, armed forces and intelligence agencies tasked with assessing and countering threats to national security.
Human rights organizations speak of more than 400 dead
However, this statement contradicts that of human rights organizations: According to this, more than 400 people were killed by security forces during the protests, including numerous children. The United Nations said last month that so far more than 14,000 people have been arrested for taking part in the protests, many of them facing serious crimes carrying the death penalty. Others were taken into custody by Iran’s so-called morality police for wearing clothes that allegedly violated the Islamic dress code.
However, the activities of the Iranian “moral police” have now effectively ceased, as a senior official said. Officially dubbed the “Guidance Patrol,” the unit has been monitoring key intersections and roads in Iranian cities for years, arresting those who violate the Islamic Republic’s strict religious dress codes.
Headscarf requirement should be examined
Iran’s parliament and the Revolutionary Council are now also examining the headscarf requirement, Iran’s Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri told journalists in Tehran. Parliamentarians are scheduled to discuss a reform on Wednesday, and the results would be announced 15 days later, Montazeri said.
The statement of “up to 200” protesters, civilians and security forces among the dead related to the demonstrations is the first official figure since September 24, when Iranian officials put the death toll from the protests at 41.