Here’s how AP reports on the death toll from Iran’s protests

The difficulty of tracking the death toll from Iran’s nationwide protests has been compounded by the government’s decision to cut off the internet to the country, but some information has still been getting out.

The Associated Press has been relying on figures provided by the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

The U.S.-based agency, founded 20 years ago, has been accurate throughout multiple years of demonstrations, relying on a network of activists inside Iran that confirms all reported fatalities. That can include speaking with medical officials, family members and community leaders, as well as checking against funeral notices and other official documents.

The agency is a tax-exempt nonprofit registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. One of its founders is Keyvan Rafiee, an Iranian political activist who faced repeated imprisonment at home before leaving the Islamic Republic for the United States.

With communications greatly limited in Iran, the AP has been unable to independently confirm the group’s toll. The theocratic government of Iran has not provided overall casualty figures for the demonstrations.

Iranian state media has provided little information about the demonstrations, making it difficult to assess the scale of the protests. Videos that have surfaced online offer brief, shaky glimpses of people in the streets or the sound of gunfire.

The AP reporting has relied on some of these videos, which likely have made it out of the country via Starlink satellite dishes. The AP authenticates such footage by checking it against known locations and events, as well as talking to regional experts. The AP also ensures the substance of the video is consistent with its own reporting.