Ilahi stated that although some were killed in the protests, the exact numbers are not very clear. Screengrab: ANI
Iran protests: Khamenei aide admits killings, denies high death toll
An aide to Iran’s supreme leader admits protester deaths but rejects high casualty figures, blaming sanctions and Western powers
An aide of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, has admitted that people have been killed during the protests in Iran, but claimed that reports stating a large number of deaths were “fake”. Although Khamenei’s representative, Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, admitted that people in Iran were angry with the economic situation in the Islamic Republic, but blamed the US and Western sanctions for the problem.
The remarks, made in India, come at a time when Iran had witnessed protests, which started in December last year, where over 5000 people have been killed in the crackdown by the country’s ruling dispensation. The situation in Iran also raised tensions in the international arena, with US President Donald Trump warning Tehran of strikes if it did not stop killing protesters.
Blames protesters for deaths
Ilahi further stated that although some were killed in the protests, the exact numbers are not very clear, adding that it was actually the protesters who initially attacked civilians, policemen, and businessmen, claiming that they were killed by police.
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“At first, these protesters attacked civilians, policemen, and businessmen and killed them as they wanted to benefit from this situation, and they mentioned that these people were killed by policemen, which is not true...,” Ilahi told ANI.
“Yes, the number of killings was mentioned by some organisations which are based in the UK, the US, and in European countries or other countries. But these numbers are incorrect and fake. They want to increase the number of killings to mention that the government killed them," he added.
‘Sanction reason behind economic woes’
As for Iran’s economic woes and consequent discontent among people, Ilahi alleged that it was created by other countries which imposed sanctions on Tehran.
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"The first one is fact, reality, and the second one is imagination...Yes, we have economic problems; some are angry with the situation of the economy, which was created by some countries against Iran, based on the sanctions,” said Ilahi.
“Yes, the number of killings was mentioned by some organisations which are based in the UK, the US, and in European countries or other countries. But these numbers are incorrect and fake. They want to increase the number of killings to mention that the government killed them," he added.
On Iran-India ties
Ilahi said that Khamenei is always keen on strong ties with India, adding that he was hopeful the Chabahar port project would be fruitful.
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"The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran always insists on good relations and collaboration between Iran and India...I hope that in Chabahar they will work nicely...The history of the relationship and collaboration between Iran and India dates back to 3,000 years ago, before the emergence of Islam. Even at that time, we were using philosophical books of India," he said.
"Even at the university, we studied philosophical books of India, and in mathematics, astronomy, and medicine, we were also using your civilisation, your knowledge, and we always learned through our schools the relationship between Iran and India," added Ilahi.