B. State entities that organize crackdowns on peaceful dissent should be identified and held accountable The Iranian legal framework insufficiently protects the rights of opinion, expression and peaceful assembly and enables State entities to crackdown on peaceful dissent in generalized impunity. Anti-government protests that erupted in late December 2017 were met with a heavy-handed response by State forces and reportedly resulted in at least 21 deaths and hundreds of arrests.38 In November 2019, authorities violently repressed protests across the country.39 40 Reportedly, the death toll ranges from verified reports of 304,41 to unconfirmed reports of up to 1500 deaths,42 and the number of those injured by security forces is estimated at several thousand.43 Around 7,000 persons were arrested and detained according to a spokesperson for Iran’s parliamentary committee for national security and foreign policy, with trials ongoing, some resulting in long prison and death sentences.44 45 As of February 2021, the Islamic Republic of Iran has not engaged in investigations consistent with international standards into the reported incidents that occurred during and after the 2019 November protests.46 Considering the above, state entities that organize crackdowns on peaceful dissent have not been identified and held accountable. 38 “Iran: protect constitutional right to protest”, ARTICLE 19, 3 January 2018. https://tinyurl.com/ycodj649 Iran: Protests met with violent crackdown and online censorship,” ARTICLE19, 19 November 2020. https://www.article19.org/resources/iran-protests-met-with-violent-crackdown-and-online-censorship/ 40 “Iran: Details released of 304 deaths during protests six months after security forces’ killing spree,” Amnesty International. 20 May 2020.https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/05/iran-details-released-of-304-deaths-during-protests-six-months-aftersecurity-forceskilling-spree/ 41 Iran: Details released of 304 deaths during protests six months after security forces’ killing spree,” Amnesty International. 20 May 2020. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/05/iran-details-released-of-304-deaths-during-protests-six-months-after-securityforceskilling-spree/ 42 “Special Report: Iran’s leader ordered crackdown on unrest - 'Do whatever it takes to end it',” Reuters. 23 December 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-protests-specialreport/special-report-irans-leader-ordered-crackdown-on-unrest-dowhatever-ittakes-to-end-it-idUSKBN1YR0QR 43 “Iran: Details released of 304 deaths during protests six months after security forces’ killing spree,” Amnesty International. 20 May 2020. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/05/iran-details-released-of-304-deaths-during-protests-six-monthsafter-security-forceskilling-spree/ 44 “November Protests; the details of the case of three prisoners who were sentenced to death,” HRANA.5 March 2020. https://www.enhrana.org/november-protests-the-details-of-the-case-of-three-prisoners-who-were-sentenced-to-death 45 See more: Article 19, Small Media, Human Rights Activists in Iran, Impact Iran https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=INT%2fCCPR%2fICS%2fIRN%2f42315 &Lang=en 46 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, July 2020, https://documentsdds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N20/190/27/PDF/N2019027.pdf?OpenElement 39 5