UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, said Thursday that the Iranian government needs to end violence against peaceful protesters and that the use of weapons “to defeat protesters is a flagrant violation of international laws”.
Addressing a special session of the Human Rights Council on the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, Turk stated the old methods meted out by Iran are only aggravating the situation.
“I have a deep admiration for the people of Iran. It pains me to see what is happening in the country. We have seen waves of protests over the past few weeks that have been met with violence and repression. The unnecessary and disproportional use of force has to come to an end. The use of weapons to defeat protesters is a flagrant violation of international law.
“The old methods of those who are in power simply do not work, in fact, they only aggravate the situation. We are now in a full-fledged human rights crisis,” he said.
According to him, 14,000 people, including children, have been arrested since the start of protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in September at the hands of morality police.
Turk also noted that university students had been summoned for questioning, threatened, and suspended from their studies and that human rights defenders, journalists, and lawyers were also prosecuted.
“Now, 21 persons could be sentenced to death and six had already received the death penalty. I urge the government and those in power to listen and acknowledge the deep-seated social economic and political grievance that has been building up. Women and girls, as well as young people, must be able to feel safe,” Turk added.
In addition, Turk called for an independent and impartial investigation of the protests, the immediate release of those who have been detained, and the establishment of a moratorium on the death penalty.
On Tuesday, Iranian officials confirmed that 40 foreign nationals had been arrested for taking part in protests sparked over the past two months.
This comes after Iran repeatedly accused “foreign adversaries” for stoking the protests.
“So far, 40 foreign nationals have been arrested for their involvement in the protests,” Iran’s judiciary spokesman Masoud Setayeshi told a televised news conference, without revealing their nationalities.
In September, Tehran said nine Europeans had been arrested for their involvement in the protests.
The protests have sparked worldwide condemnation of the situation in Iran, particularly by Iranians living abroad.
The Iranian government has blamed foreign enemies and their agents for orchestrating the protests.
