Iranian Officials Confirm 25 Dead in Protests

The Iranian government acknowledged Sunday that 25 people had been killed during recent anti-government protests in cities throughout the country.

Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi said that none of dead were killed by security forces, as the officers were ordered not to use their weapons. A number of security officers were also among the dead, Ejehi said Sunday. He didn't provide details on how the 25 people were killed.

Meanwhile, a Tehran prosecutor said that over 400 people detained during demonstrations were released, according to semi-official Fars news agency.

Last week, reformist member of parliament Mahmoud Sadeghi said that about 3,700 people had been arrested during the protests. Sadeghi also reported last week that a man had committed suicide while in detention.

The protests erupted nearly three weeks ago over economic issues, but grew into widespread unrest condemning the Islamic regime as a whole, with attacks on government and police buildings.