00:00the January 2026 protests. Unrest began December 28, 2025, triggered by a collapse in the Iranian
00:08Riyal, which lost roughly half its value against the dollar over the previous year,
00:12and the government's elimination of a preferential exchange rate for essential imports.
00:17Protests started with bazaar merchants in Tehran and spread to universities in at least 21 provinces.
00:23The crackdown that followed, especially around January 8, 9, was described by Amnesty as the
00:29deadliest period of repression by Iranian authorities in decades. Death toll estimates vary widely and
00:35remain disputed due to an internet blackout. Iran's own Supreme Council of National Security put the
00:40figure at 3,117. The UN Special Rapporteur on Iran cited at least 5,000, saying medical sources
00:48suggested it could be as high as 20,000. Other human rights monitors have cited ranges as broad as 2
00:54,000-12,000.
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