“He went out for freedom,” said the cousin of one of those who was killed when Iranian authorities mounted a deadly crackdown on protests across the country.
Many in Iran are gaining brief and unexplained windows of online connectivity, offering a widening glimpse of the extent of the government crackdown.
Protests erupted amid a communications blackout. But as video and witness accounts trickle out, the brutality of the regime’s crackdown is becoming clear.
President Trump said the United States was “watching Iran” and sending a naval force there, despite also saying that his threats had halted executions.
Witness testimony and videos from Tehran’s largest cemetery show disrespectful treatment of the dead after a brutal government crackdown.
After a crackdown that killed thousands, Iran’s prosecutor general said on Wednesday that “the sedition is over now,” vowing to punish those responsible for the protests.
“There is massive disappointment and disillusionment,” one Tehran resident said. A human rights group acknowledged that demonstrations had been subdued since Sunday, with thousands of people detained.
Iran’s representative denied the country had killed protesters, as the U.S. ambassador said President Trump had made clear “all options are on the table” to stop the killing.
Iran’s judiciary said there was no death penalty issued for Erfan Soltani, whose case drew international outcry. Analysts say the government is using fear and intimidation to keep people off the streets.
Iran had planned to put a 26-year-old protester to death amid the wave of unrest in the country, but apparently stood down for now.