For analysts and organizations linked to the Iranian opposition, the acknowledgment of thousands of deaths by a regime that historically minimizes or denies repression paradoxically suggests that the actual number of victims could be much higher. While the Iranian regime itself officially recognized more than 3,000 deaths as a result of repression, opposition groups in exile, activist networks, and various European media outlets maintain that the real figure is much higher and could exceed 30,000, or even 35,000 fatalities. The disparity between the official figures and independent estimates is not a minor detail. In this context, the lack of a firmer and more sustained condemnation from human rights organizations and political spaces that claim to defend these principles fuels the debate about double standards and leaves thousands of victims without an international voice proportional to the severity of the events. According to their reasoning, if the state itself admits to more than three thousand deaths, the final toll—including extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, and unregistered deaths—would be significantly higher. In this context, numerous European journalistic reports and testimonies collected by underground networks within Iran describe scenes of extreme violence: the systematic use of live ammunition against protesters, accelerated burials, pressure on families not to report, and manipulation of death certificates. They argue that focusing exclusively on 'verifiable' numbers ultimately obscuses a repression of a much larger scale and dilutes the regime's political responsibility. Thus, while the Iranian government attempts to close the chapter by recognizing just over three thousand deaths, pressure grows from those who claim that the true magnitude of the human tragedy far exceeds that record. Entities like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have denounced serious violations and disproportionate use of force but have limited themselves to speaking of 'thousands of dead,' without explicitly endorsing the higher figures circulated by opponents and European media. This caution contrasts with the forcefulness of the accounts circulating outside Iran and generates growing criticism from what some analysts describe as selective silence. In particular, critical sectors point out that much of the left-wing political leadership in Europe and Latin America has not launched sustained campaigns, massive pronouncements, or international mobilizations in response to accusations of killings in Iran, unlike what has occurred in the face of repression in other countries. On the multilateral front, the UN has opened debates and special sessions on the Iranian situation but has so far failed to establish a definitive death toll or advance investigation mechanisms with full access to the territory. The lack of independent observers and restrictions imposed by Tehran remain a central obstacle to thorough verification. For Iranian opposition organizations, this combination of minimal official figures, massive external accusations, and limited international responses paints an alarming picture. These versions feed the hypothesis of a death toll in the tens of thousands, a figure, however, that has not been officially confirmed by international organizations with a formal presence in the country. The most striking contrast is seen in the sparse public reaction from major international human rights organizations and left-wing political parties, which in other scenarios of state repression usually play an active and visible role. Tehran, January 30, 2026 – Total News Agency-TNA – The protests that have shaken Iran since the end of 2025 have left a death toll that remains shrouded in deep international controversy.
