Manny Ita –
The death toll from Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests has risen to at least 7,002 people, with many more still feared dead, activists said on Thursday.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which released the latest figures, said the body count from the unrest had reached 7,002. The group has previously provided casualty estimates during earlier waves of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists inside the country to verify reported deaths.
Iran’s government last issued an official death toll on January 21, stating that 3,117 people had been killed. Authorities have not updated those figures since then.
Iran’s theocratic establishment has in the past been accused of undercounting or failing to disclose the full scale of fatalities during periods of unrest.
The Associated Press reported it has been unable to independently verify the casualty figures, citing restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities, including disruptions to internet access and international phone communications across the country.
