Iran protests: Over 2,500 people killed by authorities, human rights group says

2026-01-14 08:28:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The US-based human rights group HRANA said on Monday that the death toll from the protests in Iran has reached 2,571. The group said it had so far confirmed the deaths of 2,403 protesters, 147 government-linked figures, 12 people under the age of 18 and nine civilians who were not among the protesters.

An Iranian official said Tuesday that about 2,000 people had been killed, the first time authorities have given a total death toll since a crackdown on protests that have erupted across the country for more than two weeks. The protests are said to have spread to about 180 cities and towns and 31 provinces in Iran. Initially fueled by the collapse of the national currency and the skyrocketing cost of living, they quickly turned into open political protests.

Analysts say they are one of the most serious challenges the theocratic regime has faced since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The situation escalated dramatically last Thursday, when authorities responded to the protests with deadly force. The crackdown has been accompanied by a near-total shutdown of the internet and telecommunications, making it difficult to independently verify events.

A 26-year-old Iranian protester, Erfan Soltani, is set to be executed today for his participation in anti-government protests that have rocked Iran, as US President Donald Trump openly calls on citizens to continue protesting and promises that "help is on the way", provoking a strong diplomatic response from Tehran. According to the Norwegian human rights organization Hengaw, Erfan Soltani, from the city of Fardis west of Tehran, will be executed later today. Soltani was arrested in connection with the protests in the city of Karaj.

The organization claims that his family was informed of the death sentence, but was deliberately kept in the dark about the legal process. Indicative of the cruelty of the Tehran regime is the information from NGOs that Soltani had only 10 minutes to say goodbye to his family, with Iranian security officials informing relatives that it would be their last farewell before the young man faced the executioner. According to the organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), Soltani was also not allowed access to a lawyer or a trial.

Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is said to have met secretly over the weekend with the exiled former crown prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, who is trying to emerge as a central figure in the opposition after the outbreak of protests. At the same time, Iranian diplomacy launched a harsh attack on Trump, with a letter from Iran's permanent representative to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani, addressed to the Security Council. /CNA