Iran supreme leader acknowledges thousands killed during recent protests

BBC ^ | Jan 17 | BBC

[RandFan]

Iran's supreme leader has for the first time publicly acknowledged that thousands of people were killed during recent protests.

In a speech on Saturday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said thousands had been killed, "some in an inhuman, savage manner", and blamed the US for the deaths.

A violent response to the unrest has claimed 3,090 lives, according to US-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), with some activist groups putting the death toll far higher. An internet blackout has made it extremely difficult to get clear information.

US President Donald Trump recently urged Iranian demonstrators to "keep protesting" and threatened military intervention if security forces kill them.

"Those linked to Israel and the US caused massive damage and killed several thousand," Khamenei said, quoted by Iranian state media.

"We consider the US president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation."

[frank ballenger]

One report said the Iranian force leaders decided since all the jails and holding cells were overflowing due to arrests of rioters, they would kill people so they wouldn’t be more overcrowded.

[odawg]

Iran’s supreme leader sounds like a democrat.

[jimtorr]

There are reports from inside the country that the IRGC used chemical weapons. There is at least one video of what appears to be an IRGC water cannon truck, with an operator on the roof wearing a hazmat suit. Security forces on motorbikes around the truck are wearing gas masks. Other reports say that protesters in hospitals and/or prisons are dying, for no apparent reason.

The info that I have seen comes from Tousi TV, as related here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlf7mtrvKPs

[MissEdie]

So did we leave the protesters / freedom fighters in Iran to their fate again???

[SaxxonWoods]

Iran needs protestors, maybe we could send them some...