GENEVA, January 23. /TASS/. More than 2,400 people out 3,100 who lost their lives during protests in Iran were killed by terrorists, Iranian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Geneva office Ali Bahreini said.

"The government of Iran officially announced verified figures regarding the recent unrest. A total of 3,117 lives were lost, of which 2,427 were killed as a direct result of terrorist operations," he said at a special session of the United Nations Human Right Council on the situation in Iran. "These figures are the product of national investigation, legal documentation and institutional accountability."

According to the diplomat, the Iranian government doesn’t deny its responsibility or "outsources grief," "unlike those who selectively mourn victims for political convenience."

"Iran fully recognized the right of people for peaceful protest and conducted negotiation channels with protesters," he stated. "However, during the second phase from 8 to 10 January, events were deliberately transformed into organized violence, including terrorist attacks, destruction of property and armed actions against civilians and law enforcement."

Unrest in Iran began on December 29 after street protests triggered by a sharp fall in the Iranian rial exchange rate, and spread to most major cities. Authorities reported the deaths of 40 law enforcement officers. According to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, armed terrorists appeared among the demonstrators on January 8. The Iranian authorities blamed Israel and the United States for organizing the unrest.