An ally of Iranian reformist leader Mirhossein Mousavi has claimed 72 people died in the protests that took place following the June 12's presidential election, a reformist website reported on Thursday. According to Reuters, the death toll mentioned by Alireza Hosseini Beheshti indicated a rise of three compared to an estimate he provided last month.
The authorities have been claiming that 26 people died in the riots. They said several members of the pro-government Basij militia were among those killed. "The latest number of victims in the street protests reached 72," Beheshti was quoted as saying by the Mosharekat website.
