Ali Bahadri, the government spokesperson, said we could easily have authorized the use of live ammunition against protesters.
Ali Bahadri, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic government, told students at the University of Broadcasting that the government could have allowed the security forces to use live ammunition from the first day of the protests, shooting anyone who came to the streets, thereby scaring people into staying home. However, this government would never do such a thing because it considers the protesters as their own children and family.
He also mentioned that a lot of investment has been made in these individuals to solve the country’s problems.
These statements come while the Iranian Human Rights Organization has reported that as of November 5th, at least 304 people, including 41 children and 24 women, have been killed in the ongoing protests.
According to this report, 41 of those killed were under 18 years of age.