At least 2,571 people have been killed during ongoing protests in Iran, reported the U.S.-based human rights organization Human Rights Activists News Agency on Wednesday morning, according to LETA citing AP.
This number of victims is greater than in any other protest or uprising movement in Iran in recent decades and resembles the chaos of the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
According to the organization, of the total number of dead, 2,403 were participants in the protests, while 147 were associated with the government. Among the victims are 12 children, as well as nine civilians who were not participating in the protests.
More than 18,000 people have been detained, reported the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Iranian state television has for the first time acknowledged the large number of deaths, quoting an official who stated that there are "many martyrs" in the country, explaining the delay in publishing the data by the fact that many severely injured individuals have died. However, the official statement came only after activists released data on the casualties.
The protests began in late December, triggered by a deep economic crisis and a rapid decline in the national currency's value.
Initially, merchants took to the streets of Tehran. Then the protests spread across the country and were directed against the entire Iranian authority.
