Iran Gov’t Spokesman Calls Reuters ‘Liar’

Speaking on Wednesday, Rabiei said “we need to break down the exact death toll immediately, but the number announced by Reuters is strongly rejected.”

Asked about anti-Iran accusations, leveled by Western countries, regarding alleged human rights abuses during the November incidents in Iran, he criticized the Westerners’ double standards when dealing with the issue of human rights.

Rabiei, at the same, noted that “we are not a government to hide domestic issues. A committee has been set up to fully investigate these incidents.”

“We are much more sensitive about human rights and believe that Western countries’ behaviour is interfering in Iran’s internal affairs.”

Reuters earlier claimed around 1,500 people have been killed during recent riots over fuel price hikes across Iran.

The news outlet said in a report on Monday that, “About 1,500 people were killed during less than two weeks of unrest that started on November 15, including at least 17 teenagers and about 400 women as well as some members of the security forces and police.”

Reuters claimed that the figures had been provided “by three Iranian interior ministry officials,” without further elaboration or naming any of them.

In another reaction head of Iran’s SNSC’s Information and Communications Secretariat dismissed the Reuters’ report and said such claims were based on “false propaganda.”