At least 45 people, including eight children, have been killed since protests began in Iran, with more than 2,000 others arrested, according to the human rights group Iran Human Rights.
In a statement issued on Thursday, January 8, the 12th day of the protests, the organisation said hundreds of protesters have also been injured during nationwide demonstrations. It said 13 people were killed on Wednesday alone.
According to the report, Iranian security forces have used live ammunition against protesters and carried out widespread and mass arrests in several cities as part of an intensifying crackdown.
Iran Human Rights strongly condemned the violence, describing the use of live ammunition against demonstrators as an international crime. The group called for an immediate and decisive response from the international community.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights, said: “The evidence shows that the scope of the crackdown is becoming more violent and more extensive every day. The United Nations and the international community have a responsibility to act decisively, within the framework of international law, to prevent the mass killing of protesters.”
The organisation said it has received additional reports of fatalities from multiple cities across Iran and is in the process of verifying the information, warning that the death toll could rise if the reports are confirmed.
