At least 5,000 killed in Iran unrest, official says as judiciary signals some protesters may be executed
The nationwide strike against President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration swelled in two weeks from the country's economic hardship to a widespread demonstration calling for the end of clerical rule in the country.
People take part in a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, Berlin Germany. (AP Photo)
At least 5,000 people have been killed in Iran in the protests which started on December 28 against the clerical regime’s economic woes, including about 500 security personnel, an Iranian official said on Sunday.
The official cited verified figures and accused “terrorists and armed rioters” of killing “innocent Iranians”, Reuters reported.
Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran. (UGC via AP)
The nationwide strike against President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration swelled in two weeks from the country’s economic hardship to a widespread demonstration calling for the end of clerical rule in the country, which has resulted in the deadliest unrest Tehran has witnessed since the 1979 islamic Revolution.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene militarily if the protesters were continued to be killed by the security forces or executions take place. However, softening his tone, the US president in a social media post on Friday thanked Iranian leaders for reportedly calling off the scheduled mass executions.
The US President introduced the groups who committed acts of vandalism, arson, and murdered people as “the Iranian nation.” He uttered an appalling slander against the Iranian people. We find the US President guilty for this slander.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said, “We will not drag the country into war, but we will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished,” the state media reported. The judiciary in Iran on Sunday indicated that executions may go ahead as planned earlier.
At a press briefing, Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said, “A series of actions have been identified as Mohareb, which is among the most severe Islamic punishments.”
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Mohareb is an Islamic legal term which means to wage war against God. In Iran, the act is punishable by death.
Trump, in an interview to Politico on Saturday, said that “it’s time to look for new leadership in Iran.” Khamenei, meanwhile, accused the US and Israel of orchestrating the violence in the country and first time acknowledged “several thousand deaths”.
The Iranian official further said that the verified death toll is unlikely to get higher. “The final toll is not expected to increase sharply,” the official said.
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People take part in a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, Berlin Germany. (AP Photo) 
