Report: Over 2,000 Iranian protesters killed in 48 hours

After internet shut down across Iran, video footage shows hospitals filled with bodies of slain protesters as dissidents report at least 2,000 gunned down by security personnel over the past two days.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

At least 2,000 protesters in Iran have been killed by security personnel during a 48-hour period, dissident groups claimed over the weekend, as government forces ratcheted up the use of deadly force to put down the largest anti-regime protest movement in years.

On Thursday, state authorities shut down internet service across most of the country, leading to a digital blackout for more than 90% of the country’s population.

Some Iranians managed to connect to the internet using the satellite-based Starlink service, however, with Elon Musk – CEO of Starlink’s parent company – offering free service to users in the Islamic Republic.

From Thursday evening to Saturday night, at least 2,000 protesters were killed, dissidents estimate, with sources telling the London-based Iran International that the real number could be significantly higher.

Footage of protesters lying dead in the streets of major Iranian cities and bodies piling up in hospitals have gone viral on social media, with witnesses testifying to more than 400 bodies being held at makeshift sites in the city of Kahrizak, south of Tehran.

Some of the bodies of protesters killed in Kahrizak were held in an industrial shed, witnesses said.

There are reports that on Friday alone, the remains of 44 protesters were transferred to Madani Hospital in Karaj, with 36 more spotted that day at Ghaem Hospital in Karaj.

A doctor working at a hospital in the city of Rasht reported that at least 70 bodies of slain protesters were sent to the medical center.

Dissidents have reported that pro-regime security personnel have used live gunfire on demonstrators at major protests across the country.

Despite the crackdown, the protests continued Saturday night, with tens of thousands of demonstrators estimated at a rally in western Tehran.

Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani condemned the protesters as “terrorists,” claiming that over the past few days, demonstrators have torched not only police vehicles but also dozens of buses and public buildings.