In Iran, 4,029 people were killed and more than 26,000 detained in a nationwide protest crackdown, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Most of the dead were demonstrators, including children, though the toll cannot be independently verified. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had his invitation to speak at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, withdrawn over the killings.
The Munich Security Conference separately withdrew its invitation for Iranian government officials over the crackdown. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged several thousand deaths, blamed the United States, and officials warned of harsh punishments for protesters, raising fears of executions.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency offered the toll, saying more than 26,000 people have been detained in the crackdown as well.It said of the dead, 3,786 were demonstrators, 180 security forces, 28 children and 35 were people not demonstrating.
The agency has been accurate in previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists on the ground to confirm each death. It fears many more may have been killed. I is difficult to independently confirm the toll.