A US-based rights group says at least 5,848 people were killed as Iranian security forces crushed nationwide protests that erupted in late December and peaked in early January, warning the true toll may be far higher.

The demonstrations, initially sparked by economic grievances, quickly turned into a mass movement against the Islamic Republic before being violently suppressed. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said those killed include 5,520 protesters, 77 minors, 209 security personnel and 42 bystanders, while another 17,091 suspected deaths are still under investigation.

According to AFP, HRANA also reported that at least 41,283 people have been arrested, as documentation efforts remain hampered by an 18-day internet shutdown.

Internet monitor NetBlocks said the blackout is “obscuring the extent of a deadly crackdown on civilians,” while Iranian authorities last week put the death toll at 3,117, describing most of the dead as security forces or bystanders.

Other rights groups dispute the official figures. Norway-based Iran Human Rights has documented at least 3,428 protester deaths and warned the final toll could reach 25,000, underscoring growing calls for an independent international investigation.

BOB Post