Hook: Security Forces Likely Killed Over 1,000 People During Iran Protests
The U.S. Special Representative for Iran said in a press conference that security forces have likely killed over 1,000 people since the start of protests over gasoline prices. Hook said the U.S. government is demanding the immediate release of all political prisoners in Iran.
Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran, stated that the Iranian government “has likely killed over 1,000 people in this country since the start of the protests,” and thousands more have been wounded and arrested during these demonstrations.
Hook made these remarks on Thursday, December 5th, during a press briefing at the U.S. State Department. He said that because Iran has blocked the flow of information, he cannot speak with certainty about the exact death toll, “but as truth trickles out of Iran, it appears possible that the regime may have killed over 1,000 Iranian citizens since the start of the protests.” He added that “thousands of Iranians have been wounded and at least 7,000 protesters have been arrested.”
Hook said the U.S. government is demanding the immediate release of all political prisoners.
No official statistics have been released in Iran regarding the number of deaths, injuries, and arrests from the November protests, and judicial authorities have only denied reports from foreign media outlets. Amnesty International says at least 208 people have been killed, many of them young people. Unofficial sources, including the Kelma website, have reported the death toll at 366 people.
Iran also shut down internet access for users across the country from November 25 to December 2. After that, internet shutdowns continued on a regional and provincial basis. Brian Hook had accused the leaders of the Islamic Republic in an interview following the internet shutdown in Iran of blocking citizens’ free access to the internet to hide the violent suppression of protest movements in recent weeks.
Evidence Received by the U.S. State Department
The U.S. government had asked Iranians to submit reports, videos, and photos demonstrating human rights violations in response to the suppression of protests through a communication platform to the U.S. State Department. According to Hook, approximately 32,000 posts have been submitted to this platform so far, allowing the U.S. government to gain a more detailed understanding of the extent of the crackdown.
Hook said in one instance, several Revolutionary Guards opened fire on protesters who were fleeing from security forces. According to Hook, at least 100 people were killed in this shooting.
Hook said there are also reports from Tehran indicating that over 100 people were killed.
The U.S. Special Representative for Iran said the recent protests represent “the worst political crisis for the regime in the past 40 years.” According to Hook, the ayatollahs governing Iran have long lost the support of large segments of the population.
Government officials in Iran have stated regarding the protests that began on November 15 in response to rising gasoline prices and soon took on political and anti-government slogans that “ruffians” linked to opposition figures in exile and “the country’s main enemies—Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Israel”—were behind organizing them.
Source: DW
