Iranian officials say protests have been quelled after deadly crackdown

The Iranian government said on Wednesday that it had successfully suppressed weeks of anti-government protests after a crackdown that killed thousands, with Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi saying, according to the judiciary’s Mizan News agency, “The sedition is over now.” State television released an official death toll of more than 3,000, a figure lower than the 4,519 reported by the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, or HRANA.

The movement, which began in late December amid a collapsing economy and a plunging currency, expanded into broader demonstrations against the clerical government. Videos and witness accounts at the height of the unrest suggested security forces opened fire with automatic weapons on unarmed protesters, and human rights groups said thousands have been detained.

The government has accused those involved of being terrorists backed by foreign governments and vowed to punish them. An internet blackout and a flow of disinformation have made independent verification difficult, though recent days have seen an “eerie quiet,” with shops and schools reopening under a heavy security presence.

Officials said internet access would be restored in the coming days but, according to HRANA, some foreign sites might remain inaccessible.

Key Topics

World, Iran, Anti-government Protests, Internet Blackout, Mohammad Movahedi, Abbas Araghchi