Thousands of casualties and arrests in Iran: authorities equate protests with "internal war"

More than 2,400 people have been killed in Iran since the beginning of the protests, and at least 18,434 people have been arrested. About reported CNN cited the human rights group HRANA. Against this backdrop, Iranian Justice Minister Amin Hossein Rahimi said that all those detained since January 8 are guilty of participating in the "internal war."

Since that day, the events in the country have ceased to be protests, and the situation has turned into an "internal war," he said.

The punishments and fines for detainees will depend on their "crimes" and the activities in which they participated.

Rahimi's statements followed a statement by Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, who said that protesters in Iran accused of violence or "terrorist" activities will have "priority in court and punishment."

Harsh repressions are taking place against the backdrop of the state's disconnection of communication. The company of an American businessman Elon Musk SpaseX suggested free access to Starlink in Iran. However, the connection was jammed using military technology.

• on January 14, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the Iranian leadership is in his "last days and weeks" amid mass protests in the country.
• On the same day, US President Donald Trump called on iranian protesters to seize government agencies and said he had canceled all meetings with representatives of the Islamic Republic.