- The UN human rights chief urged Iran to end the lethal use of force and repressive tactics against protesters after successive nationwide crackdowns.
- UN reporting indicates that thousands of people have been killed or injured during protests, with victims including women, children and minority communities.
- Investigators and UN-mandated bodies have documented alleged unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detentions and other serious violations linked to the suppression of demonstrations.
- The rights chief called on Iran to ensure accountability, release those arbitrarily detained, and bring its policing of assemblies into line with international human rights law.
- Iranian authorities have rejected many of the allegations, defending their actions as enforcement of national laws and accusing foreign actors of politicising the human rights situation.
Geneva (Washington Insider Megazines) - The United Nations human rights chief has urged Iran to end the lethal use of force and “repressive” tactics against protesters, warning that thousands of people have been killed or injured in successive crackdowns across the country as UN investigators point to possible crimes under international law.
The appeal follows mounting UN findings that Iranian security forces have used live ammunition, metal pellets and excessive force during protests, including the 2022–2023 demonstrations triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini. UN human rights mechanisms have documented large numbers of deaths, including children, and mass arrests of protesters, activists and journalists. The rights chief has called on Tehran to ensure accountability, release those arbitrarily detained and cooperate fully with international investigations.
UN experts and fact-finding bodies say patterns of unlawful killings, torture, enforced disappearances and gender-based persecution may amount to crimes against humanity. Iranian authorities deny systematic wrongdoing, describe many protests as “riots” or “terrorist” activity and insist that security forces act within domestic law.
UN chief condemns scale of killings and repression
Credit: Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has publicly urged Iranian authorities to end the use of lethal force against protesters and curb what UN offices describe as a “repression of dissent” involving large-scale arrests, prosecutions and surveillance. In statements to the UN Human Rights Council and through subsequent reports, the rights chief has highlighted credible accounts indicating that thousands of people have been killed, wounded or subjected to serious human rights violations in recent protest waves.
According to UN human rights reporting, security forces have repeatedly deployed live ammunition, birdshot, metal pellets and tear gas at close range against largely unarmed demonstrators. The High Commissioner has stressed that the use of lethal force is only permissible when strictly unavoidable to protect life, and that Iran’s response appears to breach international standards on law enforcement, including the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms.
The rights chief has called on Iran to conduct prompt, impartial and effective investigations into all alleged unlawful killings and serious injuries, to hold perpetrators accountable, and to provide remedies to victims and their families. UN officials have also urged Iran to revise domestic laws and practices to align with its obligations under treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Fact-finding mission cites possible crimes against humanity
A UN-mandated international fact-finding mission on Iran has reported that abuses committed in the context of protests may constitute crimes under international law, including possible crimes against humanity. The mission, established by the UN Human Rights Council after the 2022 protests, has collected testimonies, digital evidence and documentation indicating patterns of widespread and systematic violations.
According to the mission’s findings, Iranian security forces and associated entities have been implicated in extrajudicial and unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and enforced disappearances. The mission has underlined that the scale and organised nature of these acts, alongside targeting of particular groups such as women and girls, suggest that they may meet the threshold of crimes against humanity if committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population.
The fact-finding body has urged Iran to cooperate with its work, including by granting access to the country, preserving evidence and ensuring that witnesses and victims are protected from reprisals. Iranian authorities have rejected the mission’s mandate, questioned its impartiality and refused to recognise its findings, but UN member states have repeatedly renewed its mandate in light of continuing concerns.
Mahsa Amini protests and nationwide unrest
Credit: Alberto Pezzali / AP
International attention on Iran’s human rights record intensified following the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa (Jina) Amini in September 2022, after she was detained by morality police over alleged violations of mandatory veiling rules. Her death triggered nationwide demonstrations led by women and young people, with protests spreading to dozens of cities and towns.
UN human rights mechanisms reported that hundreds of people, including children and teenagers, were killed during the ensuing crackdown, as security forces fired live rounds and metal pellets at protesters and bystanders. Thousands were reportedly arrested, among them human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, students and artists, with many allegedly subjected to torture, ill-treatment and forced confessions.
UN officials have repeatedly called on Iran to repeal or amend laws and policies that discriminate against women and girls, including compulsory veiling regulations, and to guarantee freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly. The rights chief has also emphasised the need for independent investigations into Mahsa Amini’s death and the treatment of those detained in connection with the protests.
Executions and death sentences linked to protests
The UN human rights system has raised alarm over the use of the death penalty in connection with protest-related charges in Iran. Special procedures mandate holders and the High Commissioner have documented cases in which protesters were sentenced to death following proceedings that did not meet fair trial standards, including allegations of torture, denial of access to lawyers and reliance on forced confessions.
Several individuals arrested during the protests have been executed on charges such as “enmity against God” and “corruption on earth”, offences that UN experts have criticised as overly broad and inconsistent with the principle of legality. The rights chief and independent UN experts have urged Iran to halt all executions linked to protests, to commute death sentences and to declare a moratorium on the death penalty with a view to abolition.
UN officials have said that the use of capital punishment in this context appears aimed at intimidating protesters and silencing dissent. Iran has defended its judicial processes as compliant with domestic law and has accused foreign governments and organisations of interfering in its internal affairs by criticising its use of the death penalty.
Impact on women, girls and minority communities
UN reports have highlighted that women and girls have been disproportionately affected by Iran’s crackdown, both as leaders of protests and as targets of enforcement of dress codes and other restrictive rules. The rights chief has noted allegations of sexual and gender-based violence, including harassment, threats and abuse in custody aimed at punishing women and deterring participation in demonstrations.
UN bodies have also documented the impact on ethnic and religious minority communities, including Kurds, Baluchis and others in regions where protests have been particularly intense. In some provinces, reports indicate higher numbers of deaths and injuries relative to population and accounts of heavy deployments of security forces. The High Commissioner has called for disaggregated data on casualties and arrests to assess potential discriminatory patterns.
International mechanisms have urged Iran to address longstanding concerns about discrimination against women and minority groups, including in law, employment, education and public life. Iranian authorities state that they protect the rights of all citizens under the constitution and deny systemic discrimination, while attributing some unrest to foreign interference and extremist groups.
Restrictions on media, internet access and civil society
The UN rights office and rapporteurs have reported extensive restrictions on independent media, internet access and civil society during protest periods. Iranian authorities have frequently slowed or disrupted internet and mobile data services, particularly in areas experiencing large demonstrations, hampering communication, documentation and access to information.
Journalists, bloggers, lawyers, human rights defenders and cultural figures have been among those detained or summoned for questioning, with some facing charges related to national security or “propaganda against the state”. UN officials have said that such measures undermine transparency and accountability, and have called on Iran to cease harassment and arbitrary detention of those engaged in legitimate reporting and advocacy.
UN mechanisms have also expressed concern about the closure of organisations, raids on homes and offices, and the intimidation of family members of activists based abroad. Iranian authorities have argued that measures affecting media and internet access are necessary to maintain public order and national security, and have accused some outlets of spreading misinformation.
International response and calls for accountability
The UN rights chief’s latest appeal forms part of a wider international response that includes resolutions by the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly on the human rights situation in Iran. These resolutions have condemned the use of excessive and lethal force against protesters, called for the release of those arbitrarily detained and urged Iran to cooperate with UN mechanisms.
Several states have imposed targeted sanctions, such as asset freezes and travel bans, on Iranian officials and entities alleged to be involved in serious human rights violations, including units of the security forces and the morality police. Governments have also supported the work of the fact-finding mission and other UN mechanisms through funding and political backing.
UN officials continue to urge Iran to engage in dialogue with international human rights bodies, allow independent monitoring and implement the recommendations issued by treaty bodies and special procedures. Iranian authorities have criticised country-specific mandates and sanctions as politically motivated and insist that they are committed to addressing human rights issues in line with national priorities and cultural values.