From the Liveblog of
Friday, February 13, 2026
Iran announces panel to probe anti-government protest deaths
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TEHRAN, Iran — The Iranian government announces the establishment of a commission of inquiry to look into protests against the high cost of living that turned into anti-government rallies that left thousands dead.
“A fact-finding committee has been formed with representatives from relevant institutions and is collecting documents and hearing statements,” Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani tells the local news agency ISNA.
The spokeswoman does not specify whether the commission would only focus on the economic demands that triggered the protests, or whether it would also investigate deaths during the protests.
“The final report will be published for public information and further legal action after the process is completed,” she states.
On Thursday, the government website published comments by President Masoud Pezeskhian saying “We have assigned teams to investigate the causes (of the unrest), without providing further details.
The protests, which began in late December before escalating on January 8, left more than 3,000 dead, according to the official count.
Iranian authorities claim that the vast majority of victims were security forces or bystanders killed by “terrorists” working for Israel and the United States.
Human rights advocacy groups based outside Iran, however, accuse the security forces of targeting protesters.
The Times of Israel Community.