Iran’s prosecutor strongly rejects Trump’s claims of saving hundreds of people from execution, calling them baseless. The tense situation in the country raises fears of further violence.
Iran’s Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi on Friday denied claims by the US president that his pressure prevented the execution of 800 people detained during nationwide protests. He called Donald Trump’s statements untrue, TASR reports, according to an AP report.
“This claim (by Trump) is completely false, there is no such number and the judiciary has not made such a decision,” Movahedi said, according to the judicial news portal Mizan. Iranian officials say some of the detainees face the death penalty.
Threats of military intervention
In connection with the recent protests, this again raises the question of whether there will be mass executions of some of the detained demonstrators.
US President Trump has repeatedly threatened military intervention in Iran following reports of thousands of protest victims and possible executions. He softened his tone a week ago when White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt said 800 executions had been halted in Iran. Trump was reportedly assured that the executions and killings of protesters had stopped.
Number of victims and detainees
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 5,002 people have been killed and many more are missing during the demonstrations. More than 26,800 people were reportedly detained, with the number of victims varying depending on the source.
