The protests erupted on November 15 in Tehran and rapidly spread to at least 100 cities and towns, with petrol pumps torched, police stations attacked and shops looted, before being put down by security forces amid a near-total internet blackout.
"Sad things happened. About 40 or 45 people, meaning around 20% of those killed, were shot with non-standard issue weapons and martyred," said Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli. His breakdown indicated that, according to the government, between 200 and 225 people were killed in the violence.A group of independent UN rights experts said in December that based on unconfirmed reports more than 400 people could have been killed in the crackdown.They pointed to reports and footage apparently showing that security forces"not only fired live ammunition at unarmed protesters, but also aimed at their heads and vital organs".