UN to convene emergency session as Iran protest deaths mount

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will hold an emergency session on Iran on January 23 to address reports of escalating violence against protesters. The session comes as the Iranian authorities reportedly verified at least 5,000 deaths in the country’s largest demonstrations since 2022, Reuters reports.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned the reported crackdown, highlighting the urgent need for international attention.

“A special session is needed because of the importance and urgency of the situation, in particular due to credible reports of alarming violence, crackdowns on protesters and violations of international human rights law across the country,” wrote Iceland’s ambassador Einar Gunnarsson in a letter on behalf of a group of nations including Germany and the United Kingdom.

The UN confirmed the session will take place on January 23, noting that 21 countries have so far endorsed the proposal.

Human Rights Watch has condemned the reported mass unlawful killings, calling for the continuation and expansion of a UN fact-finding mission established in 2022 after previous protests. The organization is urging additional funding to investigate the latest deaths.

Iran’s diplomatic mission has not immediately responded to requests for comment. Diplomats reported that Iran submitted documents disputing the allegations of a crackdown, claiming that clashes were a response to armed attacks on security forces.

“The session will be a message to Iranian authorities that the bloodshed and the suppression of dissenting voices must stop, that they are under watch,” said Glenn Payot of Impact Iran, a coalition of 19 NGOs advocating for human rights in the country.

He added, “It will also be an opportunity for the community of states to demonstrate global support for the rights of all Iranians to protest peacefully and make their voices heard without fear of reprisals or violence.”

By Vafa Guliyeva