Calls grow in Iran for independent inquiry into protest death toll

Calls are growing inside Iran for an independent inquiry into the number of people killed during recent protests after the government said it would oversee the publication of the names of the deceased. The government move, announced on Thursday, is designed to head off claims that crimes against humanity have been committed and that as many as 30,000 Iranians have been killed. Iran’s official death toll released by the Martyr’s Foundation is 3,117, including members of the security services. Iranian reformists and law professors argue the identification process lacks transparency. Families risk retribution for identifying fatalities, and the Tehran teachers union claims one of the bloodiest chapters of repression in history has unfolded. The Reform Front and former president Hassan Rouhani have called for major changes and independent investigations. Meanwhile, security services continue sweeps, with tens of thousands believed to be in detention, many of whom are working-class breadwinners born between 1980 and 1985.