Iran Faces Scrutiny After Government Publishes List of Protest Victims

Iran’s government is facing renewed domestic and international scrutiny after releasing what it claims is the official list of people killed during recent nationwide protests—an announcement that has raised more questions than it answers, according to rights groups, families of victims, and independent observers.

The list, published by state-affiliated media late Wednesday, includes dozens of names said to represent “all confirmed fatalities” from the unrest that swept the country following weeks of demonstrations over economic grievances, political restrictions, and allegations of state corruption. Officials described the release as an act of “transparency” aimed at countering what they called “foreign misinformation campaigns.”

But human rights organizations and several families of the deceased say the government’s accounting is incomplete, inconsistent, and in some cases contradicts eyewitness testimony and independent documentation.

Families Challenge Official Narrative

Multiple families contacted by international media outlets say their relatives’ names were either missing from the list or misrepresented. Some reported that authorities pressured them to attribute deaths to “accidents,” “heart failure,” or “armed rioters,” rather than to security forces.

One mother from Shiraz, whose 19‑year‑old son died during the protests, told independent journalists that officials refused to register him as a protest victim unless the family signed a statement absolving security forces of responsibility. Her son’s name does not appear on the government’s list.

“These omissions are not clerical errors,” said a spokesperson for the Center for Human Rights in Iran. “They reflect a systematic effort to obscure the scale of state violence.”

Rights Groups Cite Higher Death Toll

International rights monitors estimate that the true number of fatalities is significantly higher than the government’s tally. Several organizations have compiled their own lists based on hospital records, eyewitness accounts, and video evidence, suggesting that the death toll may be several times larger.

Amnesty International said in a statement that the government’s list “fails to meet even the most basic standards of transparency,” noting that many victims were reportedly buried under heavy security, with families barred from holding public funerals.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an independent investigation, citing “credible reports of excessive and lethal force” used by Iranian security forces.

Government Defends Its Report

Iranian officials insist the list is accurate and accuse foreign governments and media of inflating casualty figures for political purposes. A government spokesperson said that “all deaths have been thoroughly investigated” and that the majority were caused by “armed agitators” rather than state forces.

State television aired segments portraying the protests as “foreign-backed riots,” a narrative that analysts say is aimed at minimizing public sympathy for demonstrators.

Analysts: Transparency Claims Fall Short

Experts on Iranian politics say the government’s decision to release the list may have been intended to project openness but has instead intensified public skepticism.

“Publishing an incomplete or contested list can backfire,” said Dr. Laleh Farzan, a Middle East analyst at King’s College London. “It invites scrutiny, especially when families and rights groups present evidence that contradicts the official version.”

Farzan added that the government’s credibility has been eroded by previous instances in which authorities denied wrongdoing before later admitting responsibility—such as the 2020 downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet.

Public Anger Persists

Despite heavy security deployments and widespread arrests, sporadic protests continue in several cities. Videos circulating on social media—whose authenticity cannot always be independently verified—show crowds chanting against the government and demanding accountability for the deaths.

Internet restrictions remain in place across parts of the country, complicating efforts to verify casualty figures and document abuses.

For many Iranians, the release of the victim list has done little to ease tensions.

“People want truth and justice,” said a Tehran-based journalist who requested anonymity for safety reasons. “A list that leaves out so many names only deepens the wounds.”