Iran says 230 killed in November protests, less than international tolls of brutal crackdown
Iran says 230 killed in November protests, less than international tolls of brutal crackdown
International observers place the death toll in the crackdown between 300 and 1,500.
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Tehran claims death tolls compiled by international organisations are 'lies' [Getty]
A senior Iranian lawmaker said Monday that 230 people were killed in November protests sparked by a petrol price hike, state news agency IRNA reported.
"During these events 230 people were killed, six of whom were official agents and security forces," said Mojtaba Zolnour, head of the parliament's national security and foreign affairs committee.
"Twenty percent of them were forces keeping order and peace and seven percent were those killed in direct confrontations with security forces," he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
The protests erupted on November 15 in Tehran and rapidly spread to at least 40 cities and towns, with petrol pumps torched, police stations attacked and shops looted, before being put down by security forces amid a near-total internet blackout.
Officials had repeatedly denied death tolls given by foreign media and human rights groups as "lies", and passed responsibility of reporting on it between different state bodies.
London-based Amnesty International placed the death toll at more than 300, while a Reuters investigation claimed as many as 1,500 could have been killed in the brutal crackdown.
The United States has also said that more than 1,000 people were killed during the protests.
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The United States has also said that more than 1,000 people were killed during the protests.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected
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