Clashes between Iranian security forces and protesters angry over the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody have left at least 17 dead since violence erupted over the weekend, according to a tally by the AP on Thursday.
The cuts in access to Instagram and WhatsApp, the applications used by protesters to share information about the government’s crackdown on dissent, continued on Thursday. Authorities also appeared to cut off online access to the rest of the world, a tactic rights activists say is common in times of unrest.
An Iranian state television presenter suggested yesterday that the death toll could be 17, but did not elaborate or explain how he arrived at that figure.
“Unfortunately, 17 civilians and police officers at the scene lost their lives,” said the presenter, adding that the official figures will come out later.
The demonstrations in the Islamic Republic began as a show of mourning for Mahsa Amini, a young woman detained by the Iranian morality police for allegedly violating their strict dress code. Her death has been condemned by the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.