The national police chief of Iran, Ahmad-Reza Radan, on Monday gave a strict ultimatum to the people who took part in the recent protests, saying that if they did not give themselves up within the next 72 hours, they would face very harsh punishments legally. The proclamation was made during the time when the country was still struggling with the upheaval that was all over and the government was still carrying on with a heavy crackdown.

Radan said that the protesters would have to give themselves up in three days and he hinted at “the full force of the law” to be applied to those who would not obey, as reported by AFP.

Protest Crackdown Intensifies Amid Internet Blackout

The demonstrations, described by authorities as riots, have emerged as the most significant challenge to Iran’s leadership in years. The true scale of the violence remains unclear due to an internet blackout that has entered its 11th day, severely limiting independent reporting.

Rights organizations claim the government’s crackdown has been far deadlier than official figures suggest. An Iranian official recently reported that at least 5,000 people have been killed amid the unrest.

Distinguishing “Misled” Protesters from Organizers

Radan attempted to differentiate between protesters he described as “misled” and those allegedly organizing violence. He said young people who were drawn into the unrest unintentionally would be considered “deceived,” not “enemy soldiers,” and would be treated leniently if they surrender within the deadline.

Government Accuses Foreign Powers

The Iranian government has consistently claimed that the protests started off peacefully but then got taken over by the foreign enemies, the US and Israel among them. Thus, the top leaders from the government, parliament, and judiciary made a joint public commitment to fix the economic problems which had caused the turbulence.

On the contrary, they warned that the offenders of “terrorist acts” would face strict penalties. The declaration was supported by President Masoud Pezeshkian, the speaker of parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and the chief judge Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.

International Concerns Over Executions

The UN has cautioned that Iran might be employing executions as a means of terrorizing the populace, amidst concerns over increased sanctions. Volker Turk, UN’s high commissioner for human rights, stated that Iran killed nearly 1,500 people in 2022, ranking it next to China.

While the officials of Iran have claimed that there are about 3,000 detainees, the human rights activists’ groups are speculating that the figure might be as high as 20,000.

The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly called on the government to obliterate the so-called “seditionists” as per the state media.