244 killed, over 12,500 arrested in Iran's protests

Iran’s security forces have killed 244 protesters and arrested over 12,500 others in anti-government demonstrations sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, a rights group said on Friday.

Of those killed, 32 were children, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a news site run by a collective of Iranian human rights advocates, said.

The group estimated the number of people arrested during the protests to be 12,516.

There have been 28 fatalities among security forces, according to HRANA.

Protests erupted across Iran after Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, died in police custody on September 16.

The protests quickly escalated and turned political with demonstrations taking place country-wide. Protesters have been chanting against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and calling for the downfall of the regime.