GENEVA

The UN human rights chief said Tuesday he was "horrified" by the "mounting violence directed by security forces" at anti-government protesters in Iran.

Volker Turk, in a statement, urged Iranian authorities to "immediately halt all forms of violence and repression against peaceful demonstrators, restore full access to the internet and telecommunications services, and ensure accountability for serious human rights violations."

"The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labelling of protesters as 'terrorists' to justify violence against them is unacceptable," Turk said.

Referring to earlier nationwide protests, he said: "As we saw most recently in 2022, broad sections of the Iranian population have taken to the streets, demanding fundamental changes in the governance of their country." He added that "once again, the authorities' reaction is to inflict brutal force to repress legitimate demands for change."

Turk warned that this "cycle of horrific violence cannot continue."

"The Iranian people and their demands for fairness, equality and justice must be heard," he said, calling for all killings and abuses to be investigated in line with international human rights norms, with those responsible held to account.

According to the statement, several hospitals are said to be overwhelmed by casualties, including children, while nationwide internet and telecommunications shutdowns have hindered verification efforts. There are also reports that members of security forces have been killed, it added.

"Iranians have the right to demonstrate peacefully," Turk said. "Their grievances need to be heard and addressed, and not instrumentalised by anyone."

Iran has been experiencing widespread anti-government protests since last month, driven by severe economic deterioration and a historic collapse of the national currency.

Iranian authorities have accused the US and Israel of supporting what they characterize as "armed rioters" in the country.

While official casualty figures have not been released, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) estimates that at least 646 people have died, including both security forces and protesters, with over 1,000 injured.

HRANA has also reported that at least 10,721 individuals have been detained across protests in 585 locations nationwide, spanning 187 cities in all 31 provinces.