At the conclusion of this section of his speech, the leader reiterated that, aside from the alleged ringleaders and those who had taken money or weapons from foreign adversaries, the remainder — whether members of security forces, passersby, or even those who had briefly walked alongside protesters — were part of the national family. He asked for mercy and forgiveness for them, stating that they had made mistakes and that divine pardon was sought on their behalf. This framing combined political messaging with religious sentiment, embedding the state’s response within a moral and spiritual vocabulary.
The official narrative regarding the death toll has been contested and complex. Authorities previously announced a figure of approximately three thousand people killed during the unrest. They claimed that some victims were caught in crossfire between armed militants and security forces. This explanation placed responsibility for a portion of the casualties on those described as terrorists, rather than on state actors. By presenting the deaths as partly the consequence of clashes initiated by armed groups, officials aimed to legitimize the use of force as defensive and necessary.
