Supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a movement calling for economic and governance reforms, have continued protests despite being banned under anti-terrorism laws last week.
Officials initially reported seven deaths on Monday, including three civilians and four police officers, with dozens of people wounded. The latest count showed the number of fatalities had increased to 20.

Local government higher education minister Malik Zafar told AFP that clashes in his constituency of Kotli had resulted in seven deaths during the week.
Commissioner Sardar Waheed, the senior civilian official in Rawalakot, said 12 people had been killed, including four police officers.

A senior police official in Mirpur, Khurram Iqbal, said one protester died during clashes with police on Wednesday.

Several shops in Muzaffarabad have remained closed as businesses joined calls for a strike in support of the JAAC, while mobile internet services have been largely unavailable, according to an AFP journalist in the area.
JAAC members have rejected the designation of the group as a terrorist organisation, describing the move as suppression and saying their protests are aimed at securing economic and political rights.

The latest unrest follows violent clashes in the Himalayan region in September, when nine people were confirmed killed during protests led by the JAAC.

Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but has been divided between the two countries since the end of British rule. The territory remains highly sensitive, with decades of tensions and conflicts between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The violence erupted after supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a movement advocating economic and governance reforms, pressed ahead with planned demonstrations despite being outlawed by authorities under anti-terrorism legislation.

Sardar Waheed, the top civilian official in Rawalakot, said three civilians were killed and about 40 others wounded during the clashes.

Police said four officers were also killed and 23 injured, bringing the overall death toll to seven.

Authorities moved against the organization over the weekend, sealing its central office and imposing restrictions on large public gatherings in Muzaffarabad, the largest city in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Police confirmed that more than 70 JAAC members were arrested during operations carried out ahead of the planned protests.

Despite fears of wider unrest, markets in Muzaffarabad reopened on Monday under a heavy security presence. Residents had earlier rushed to stockpile supplies amid concerns that demonstrations and possible shutdowns would disrupt daily life.

JAAC leaders rejected the government’s decision to classify the group as a terrorist organization, describing the move as political repression and insisting their campaign is focused on legitimate demands for economic relief, political accountability and governance reforms.

The latest confrontation follows a similar wave of unrest in September, when protests led by the group triggered days of clashes that left nine people dead.

Pakistan-administered Kashmir has witnessed periodic demonstrations in recent years over inflation, electricity costs, governance issues and demands for greater political representation.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir remains one of South Asia’s most sensitive territorial disputes. Both India and Pakistan claim the region in full but administer separate portions following their partition and independence from British rule in 1947.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said state police took control of the area following confrontations between protesters and federal immigration agents. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka also imposed a nightly curfew around the facility.

The 1,000-bed detention center, operated by GEO Group on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has become a flashpoint in the debate over immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump. State police arrested three protesters on Saturday after six arrests the previous night.

Democratic leaders, including Hakeem Jeffries, renewed calls for the facility’s closure, citing concerns over detention conditions, while federal authorities said operations would continue as normal.

Protesters carrying Spanish flags and banners reading “Enough!” gathered in the capital following a call by Sociedad Civil Española, a coalition of more than 150 civic associations. The demonstration was backed by the conservative Alberto Núñez Feijóo-led Popular Party and the far-right Santiago Abascal party.

Organizers estimated attendance at around 80,000 people, while the central government’s representative in the Madrid region put the turnout at roughly half that figure. The march concluded near Plaza Moncloa, close to the prime minister’s official residence.

Speaking before the rally, Vox leader Abascal accused the government of being engulfed in corruption scandals, arguing that allegations involving individuals close to Sanchez had eroded public confidence in the administration.

The demonstration comes amid mounting scrutiny of figures linked to the prime minister. Sanchez’s brother, David Sanchez, is due to stand trial on influence-peddling charges, while his wife, Begona Gomez, remains under investigation in a separate corruption inquiry. Sanchez has repeatedly rejected the allegations and described the cases as politically motivated.

Pressure on the government has also increased following legal proceedings involving former transport minister Jose Luis Abalos, a longtime Sanchez ally whose corruption trial concluded earlier this month and is awaiting a verdict.

Adding to the political challenges facing the government, a Spanish court this week placed former prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero under formal investigation for alleged influence peddling and other offenses. Zapatero has been regarded as a close ally of Sanchez within Spain’s Socialist movement.

Sanchez, who came to power in 2018 after a no-confidence vote removed a conservative government plagued by corruption scandals, has insisted he will remain in office despite growing opposition demands for early elections.

The rally underscored the increasingly polarized political climate in Spain, where corruption allegations have become a central battleground ahead of future electoral contests.

The judiciary’s official Mizan Online website said Mehrab Abdollahzadeh was hanged after legal procedures were completed, following his conviction under the capital offense of “corruption on earth,” one of the most serious charges under Iran’s penal code.

“Mehrab Abdollahzadeh’s death sentence was carried out this morning after completing the legal formalities,” Mizan said.According to the judiciary, Abdollahzadeh and several others were arrested during street protests in Urmia, where a farmer described by authorities as a volunteer assisting security forces was allegedly attacked and fatally beaten.

The victim had attended the demonstrations “as a volunteer force to ensure the security of the people,” Mizan said, referring to him as having been “martyred.” The report did not specify the exact date of the incident.Mizan also published what it said was part of Abdollahzadeh’s confession, in which he admitted to striking the victim several times in the face.

Two other defendants in the same case, both under the age of 18, were sentenced to prison terms of unspecified length, the judiciary said.Iran has in recent weeks carried out multiple executions of individuals accused of involvement in the wave of protests that erupted before the conflict with the United States and Israel.

The demonstrations began in late December over rising living costs and economic hardship before spreading nationwide and evolving into broader anti-government protests, reaching their peak on January 8 and 9.Iranian authorities said the protests initially began peacefully but later turned into what they described as “foreign-instigated riots” involving violence, killings and damage to public property.

Rights groups have repeatedly criticized Iran’s use of capital punishment in protest-related cases, raising concerns over due process, forced confessions and the speed of judicial proceedings.

The executions come as Tehran faces growing domestic economic pressure and heightened international scrutiny over both its internal security measures and regional military tensions.