UN human rights chief urges Iran to end internet shutdown, halt repression

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called on Iranian authorities to immediately end the country’s internet and communications shutdown, warning that the measure has severely undermined fundamental rights and isolated millions of people.

Describing the shutdown as the longest recorded in Iran, Türk said it has drastically restricted access to information and communication, preventing Iranians from speaking with one another or with the outside world, and from understanding events unfolding around them, Caliber.Az reports per UN office. 

Speaking during a briefing to a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council on Iran, Türk also urged the Iranian government to pull back from what he described as “brutal repression,” including summary trials and disproportionate sentences. He called for the immediate release of all individuals arbitrarily detained and demanded a complete moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

The High Commissioner warned that longstanding impunity for past human rights violations has fueled grievances and heightened tensions across the country. He called for independent investigations into all violations, conducted in line with international standards, and emphasised the need for accountability.

Türk further urged Iranian authorities to initiate meaningful reforms aimed at rebuilding trust and repairing what he described as a fractured social contract. He called on the government to engage constructively with the international human rights system, including through full cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, and the UN Special Rapporteur. This cooperation, he said, must include granting full access to the country.

Reflecting on the authorities’ initial response to public unrest, Türk noted that early calls for dialogue and the announcement of increased state subsidies to address rising prices were quickly abandoned. Instead, he said, the situation deteriorated into “the old pattern of killings and arrests,” marked by overwhelming force that cannot resolve the population’s grievances.

"The only way out of this frightening escalation is through dialogue based on the human rights of all Iranians. The aspirations and ideas in particular of women, girls, young people and ethnic and religious minorities must be allowed to shape Iran’s future,” he noted.

By Sabina Mammadli