‘No More Mercy’: 1,500 Iranians Killed in Crackdown on Protesters
By Washington Examiner. New numbers reported by three Iranian interior ministry officials paint a picture of the magnitude of last month’s fuel hike protests in the country.
Close to 1,500 protesters are said to have been murdered in what marks the bloodiest political shakedown since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Mounting economic despair and a surprise November fuel price hike, which increased gas prices by as much as 200%, led Iranians to demonstrate, with early death estimates far lower than what was reported on Monday.
In response to the economy and the new fuel tax, protesters filed onto the streets in more than 100 cities and towns. They burned images of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and called for the return of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former shah of Iran.
The Department of State told Reuters that they estimated hundreds had died during the protests but included that the number could be over 1,000. (Read more from “‘No More Mercy’: 1,500 Iranians Killed in Crackdown on Protesters” HERE)
________________________________________________________
Iran Spending $24.5 Million per Day to Crush Dissent in the Country
By The Jerusalem Post. As Iran suppressed protests that spread throughout the country, Radio Farda reported that the Islamic Republic has been spending $24.5 million per day to crush dissent and suppress protests throughout the year.
Protests affected over 100 cities since November, with security forces using violent measures against the demonstrators, including lethal force.
According to the report, Iran has spent $9 billion on various sectors of the security service this fiscal year, which includes the intelligence ministry, police, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and paramilitary Basij, the latter often used to crush popular dissent.
The report also detailed the recent growth of the Iranian security forces budget, rising from $3.1 billion since the start of Hassan Rouhani’s presidency in 2013, to $5.7 billion by the sixth year of his term.
The $9 billion budget this year comes amid a deepening economic crisis in the country, combined with a marked decline in Iran’s oil exports of 213,000 barrels per day. (Read more from “Iran Spending $24.5 Million per Day to Crush Dissent in the Country” HERE)
Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE
