Iran protests death toll hits 35 and 1,200 detained, activists say
Iran’s judiciary vows ‘no leniency’ for rioters as nationwide unrest enters its second week
Protesters angry over Iran’s ailing economy conducted a sit-in on Tuesday at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, witnesses said, with security forces ultimately firing tear gas and dispersing demonstrators as the rest of the market shut down.
The protest at the Grand Bazaar, the beating heart for centuries of both Iran’s economic and political life, represents the latest signal that the demonstrations likely are to continue as the country’s rial currency fell to a record low on Tuesday.
The death toll in violence surrounding protests in Iran has risen to at least 35 people, activists said on Tuesday, as the country’s theocracy acknowledged the unrest in one western province where security forces reportedly raided a hospital.
The figure came from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which said more than 1,200 people have been detained in the protests, which have been ongoing for more than a week.
It said 29 protesters, four children and two members of Iran’s security forces have been killed. Demonstrations have reached over 250 locations in 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces.
The group, which relies on an activist network inside Iran for its reporting, has been accurate in past unrest.