As the world’s eyes and ears have turned elsewhere, the crimes of the Iranian government continues unabated. Till this day, the true number of those killed, murdered and/or raped in the post-election crackdowns remains unknown. While the government itself claims that no more than 30 people have died, the opposition puts the figure above 100. Both figures are likely gross underestimations of the true number.
The reason for the large under reported number is due to the threats the families of the victims face. Many Iranian Americans have family and friends killed in the violence, and their names appear on no lists. A friend of my own family had their 16 year-old daughter shot on the streets during the first day of the protests.
Her family has not reported her death due to pressure from the pro-Ahmadinejad authorities. The fear is that if they do go public with their story, the authorities will punish their sole remaining child. He is a college student and though he wasn’t involved in the protests, the authorities have made it clear that he is a target if the family reports the death of their daughter.
