Anti-government protests in Iran have escalated and left
over 2,000 people dead, according to rights groups and security officials.
Protests began in Tehran, the country’s capital, on December
28 over the collapse of the Iranian currency, and the protests have since
spread to towns and cities nationwide, and turned against the nation’s clerical
rulers.
The demonstrations are fuelled by citizens’ complaints of
economic hardships blamed on mismanagement, Western sanctions and curbs on
freedoms.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had
verified the deaths of 2,003 people during the protests, including 1,850
protesters, 135 government-affiliated individuals, nine people aged under 18,
and nine non-protester civilians.
The group also said the total number of people detained is
16,784.
A digital blackout has been in place in the Middle Eastern
country since last Thursday, according to NetBlocks, internet monitor, as part
of the government’s crackdown on protests.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump told Iranians to keep
protesting, saying “help” was on the way.
Though he did not give further details on the kind of help
he was referring to, Trump has recently floated the possibility of military
intervention in Iran.
Foreign nations including the United Kingdom, Italy, and
Germany have condemned the violent government crackdown and summoned the
Iranian envoys in their countries.
Source: Over 2,000 killed in Iran as anti-government protests worsen
