Death toll in Iran protests at 2,677: Human rights group

ISTANBUL

A US-based human rights group on Thursday said the death toll in Iran's protests had reached 2,677.

The ongoing protests, triggered by discontent over economic conditions, also led to the detention of 19,097 people, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

In clashes that broke out during the protests, 2,677 people lost their lives, it said.

Iranian authorities have so far not made any statements on the total number of people killed or injured during the protests.

The protests began on Dec. 28 in the capital Tehran, when shopkeepers, merchants and small business owners staged strikes and demonstrations to protest soaring inflation, the collapsing rial, and deteriorating economic conditions.

The demonstrations have since spread to multiple cities and escalated into anti-government expressions of discontent involving workers, students, and others.

Iranian government officials have accused the US and Israel of backing what they described as “riots” and “terrorism.”