Iran Protests Death Toll Tops 200 Including 23 Minors

The number of dead killed in the latest round of public protests in Iran has passed 200, including dozens of children, a Norway-based human rights organization said Wednesday. 

"According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, the number of protesters killed by security forces has risen to at least 201 people," Iran Human Rights said in a statement. "Of those, 23 were under 18 years of age, but not all have been verified through documentary evidence."

Now in their fourth week, the anti-government protests sweeping Iran have left authorities in Tehran seemingly flat-footed and frightened by the scale and determination of the popular uprising against the Islamic Republic. Security forces have, as a result, become increasingly ruthless in their attempts to crush the movement.

The group said it was currently investigating reports of at least five further deaths in Kurdistan over the last three days, but it was hampered by severe disruptions to the internet and other communications networks.

Sanandaj, the provincial capital of Kurdistan province, has been the scene of fierce clashes between security forces and protesters. Heavily armed columns of military vehicles were seen patrolling the city’s streets on Tuesday afternoon. However, defiant protesters continued gathering in large numbers earlier this week. “This is the power of the Kurds,” a man can be heard saying in one video, as protesters take control of a street.

Meanwhile, there was a massive deployment of riot police and plainclothes officers throughout Tehran on Wednesday as security forces prepared for mass demonstrations. Authorities shut down internet service to stop news of the protests spreading.

NetBlocks, an advocacy group which campaigns for internet freedom, said that Iran’s internet traffic had dropped to some 25% compared to the peak, even during a working day in which students were in class across the country.

But numerous videos shot by protesters and bystanders were sent out of the country, despite the restrictions, and many of them can be seen on IranWire’s Twitter page.