Report: 51 protesters killed in Iran since beginning of nationwide protests and internet shutdown

On Friday, the Iran Human Rights Organization said that at least 51 people have been killed, with hundreds more injured in the first 13 days of protests across the country over deep economic hardship. The outlet is working to ascertain the exact ages of those under 18 who were killed.

 As inflation and unemployment skyrocket in Iran, protesters have come out in droves in all 31 provinces to express their dissatisfaction with the government. In response, security forces have also disrupted protests via force, killing and injuring several people, which President Donald Trump has since warned against.

“We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts,” Trump told reporters during a press conference at the White House. “And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts.”

 Trump pointed to Iran’s leadership for the outrage in the country, arguing that the regime had mistreated its citizens.

“They’ve done a bad job. They’ve treated the people very badly, and now they’re being paid back,” he added. “So let’s see what happens. We’ll watch it. We’re watching it very closely.”

On Thursday, authorities also cut off access to the internet and phone networks to crack down on organization and reporting.

“Over the past 13 days, the extent of the government’s use of force against protesters has been increasing, and the risk of intensified violence and the widespread killing of protesters after the internet shutdown is very serious,” the organization’s director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam stated. “The international community must act immediately to ensure people in Iran have access to a free internet, and countries that have diplomatic relations with Iran must, in a clear and decisive message, tell the Islamic Republic that the world will not tolerate the killing of protesters.”

“The number of people detained in relation to the protests has now exceeded 2,200.”