The US State Department's estimate that the number of casualties during the protests in Iran was over 1,000 people is wrong and does not reflect reality, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Monday
TEHRAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th December, 2019) The US State Department's estimate that the number of casualties during the protests in Iran was over 1,000 people is wrong and does not reflect reality, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Monday.On Thursday, US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said that Iranian security forces may have killed over 1,000 people in their crackdown on mass protests throughout the country.
"The numbers do not reflect the reality, there is no evidence to confirm them," Rabiei said at the press conference, adding that official data would be announced later.
Iran has been experiencing widespread protests since mid-November, which began over a sharp hike in fuel prices. Some of the rallies, according to local media, were peaceful, while others turned into violent clashes between demonstrators and police � casualties have been reported on both sides.
Human rights group Amnesty International placed the death toll at 208 on December 2. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Friday that over 400 people could have been killed in the November protests.
