Iran is in the middle of one of the most violent waves of unrest it has seen in years. Anti government protests that began earlier this month have spread across the country and have been met by a fierce and often deadly response from security forces. Journalists, human rights groups, and families of those caught up in the violence say the scale of what is happening is unlike anything they have seen in a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iranian journalist Mohammad Reza Mousavi described what people inside Iran are experiencing in chilling terms. \u201cThe picture is really gruesome,\u201d he told Newsmax. \u201cMany people have been killed.\u201d He said a friend in Iran told him that \u201cwalls are covered with obituaries of dead people, mostly young, who were killed in the recent protests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though the streets have been quieter in recent nights, Mousavi warned that the danger has not passed. \u201cWithin the past three nights, including tonight, there haven\u2019t been much protests going on now,\u201d he said. \u201cBut people are really worried.\u201d He believes the pause will not last. \u201cI don\u2019t think it will be the end,\u201d Mousavi said. \u201cEven if the protests die down this time, I really expect another round of protests within the next months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Growing Death Toll and Mass Arrests<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Human rights groups say the crackdown has already claimed thousands of lives. The U.S. based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that more than 2,400 protesters have been killed since the demonstrations began and that more than 18,000 people have been arrested. Other rights groups have suggested the true number may be higher, but Iran\u2019s communications blackout has made independent verification difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amnesty International said it has gathered verified video, photographs, and eyewitness testimony showing what it called \u201cmass unlawful killings\u201d on an \u201cunprecedented scale.\u201d The group said Iranian security forces fired rifles and shotguns directly at unarmed protesters and bystanders, including from rooftops of residential buildings, police stations, and mosques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis spiral of bloodshed and impunity must end,\u201d said Agn\u00e8s Callamard, Amnesty International\u2019s secretary general. She added that even by Iran\u2019s own grim record, \u201cthe severity and scale of killings and repression since 8 January is unprecedented.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n CNN verified video from a makeshift mortuary near Tehran showing rows of black body bags with visible bullet wounds. Some bags were labeled with names and birth dates. One showed a birth year indicating the victim was just 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actions Taken by the Government Against Protesters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Iranian government has moved aggressively to crush the protests using arrests, threats of execution, surveillance, and information control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thousands of arrests have been carried out. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, more than 18,000 people have been detained since the unrest began. Many of them are being held without transparent legal proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The judiciary has warned of rapid trials and harsh punishment. Mousavi said the chief justice has threatened \u201cquick trials,\u201d which he believes \u201cprobably means summary executions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n State media has aired warnings from the head of the judiciary that protesters who have been arrested will be dealt with swiftly, raising fears that death sentences could follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has encouraged citizens to report suspected protesters through a special hotline. The IRGC said it received nearly 400,000 reports of \u201csecurity violations,\u201d which led to arrests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The government has imposed a near total internet blackout. Cybersecurity watchdog NetBlocks said Iran has been under a blackout for days, preventing people from sharing information and making it difficult to verify the number of people killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Security forces have used lethal force. Amnesty International and CNN verified footage shows security forces firing live ammunition at unarmed protesters and bystanders, including from rooftops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Threats of Execution Add to the Fear<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The case of Erfan Soltani has become a symbol of the danger facing detainees. Soltani, a 26 year old arrested in Fardis, was told his execution would take place Wednesday, according to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights and a family member. Later, the family was told the execution was postponed, but not canceled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A relative pleaded publicly for help, saying, \u201cI beg you, please do not let Erfan be executed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Experts told CNN that rushed trials and death sentences are a common tool used by the Iranian system during periods of unrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Iran\u2019s leadership has rejected the claims of mass killings and executions and instead blamed foreign forces for the violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Fox News that reports of thousands of protesters being killed were part of a \u201cmisinformation campaign.\u201d He said the real death toll was in the hundreds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He claimed that after an initial period of peaceful protests, \u201cwe had a completely different story, a terrorist operation,\u201d which he said was driven by foreign backed groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Araghchi also denied that protesters were being executed, saying that hanging them was \u201cout of the question.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps accused the United States and Israel of being behind the unrest. Its commander said those responsible would receive a response \u201cat an appropriate time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Nation That May Not Return to Normal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mousavi believes the emotional damage inside Iran is now too deep for things to simply go back to the way they were. \u201cMany people have lost somebody dear to them, and this hatred and anger among them is increasing by the day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t really think anything will go back to normal from this point,\u201d Mousavi added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With thousands dead, tens of thousands arrested, and a government relying on force and fear to maintain control, Iran now stands at one of the most dangerous moments in its modern history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n