GENEVA
The UN human rights office and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran on Thursday called for accountability, evidence gathering, and an end to impunity following recent protests and the authorities’ response across Iran.
Addressing the 39th special session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said that "the killing on the streets of Iran may have subsided, but the brutality continues," warning that "the violent repression of the Iranian people does not solve any of the country’s problems."
Reminding that Iran is "among the top executioner states in the world," as in 2025, at least 1,500 people were reportedly executed, he said: "I am deeply concerned by contradictory statements from the Iranian authorities about whether those detained in connection with the protests may be executed. While the Foreign Minister of Iran said executions were not under consideration, senior judicial officials continued to threaten protesters with charges that carry a mandatory death sentence."
Turk also urged authorities to "restore full access to the internet and telecommunications services, and ensure accountability for serious human rights violations.
He called for "the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained," and a "complete moratorium on the death penalty."
He also called on the authorities "to initiate reforms that include steps to rebuild trust and repair the social contract."
Sara Hossain, chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, also addressed the session and said: "In the context of the shocking recent events in Iran, the priority must now be gathering evidence and establishing whether human rights violations and crimes under international law, including crimes against humanity, may have occurred."
She showed accountability as the "only way to prevent the recurrence of such abuses" and "breaking the cycle of impunity," before more irreparable harm.
She noted that, according to "the credible reports," thousands of people have been killed since the protests erupted on Dec. 28, while the government claims at least 300 members of the security forces were also killed. Over 24,000 people have been reportedly arrested, including children, journalists, and human rights defenders, Hossain added.
Speaking on behalf of the European Union, Michele Cervone d’Urso said the bloc "stands in solidarity with the Iranian people" and "strongly condemn(s) the brutal repression of peaceful protests across Iran."
He said the nationwide communications blackout was "unacceptable" and urged the restoration of all communication.
"The EU fully supports the renewal of the mandates of the fact-finding mission and of the special rapporteur. It is paramount to end the cycle of systemic impunity for gross human rights violations carried out by state officials," he said.
Iran questions legitimacy of session, subsequent resolution
Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, rejected the legitimacy of the special session, saying it served "merely as a pressure tool against Iran."
He said Iran recognized the right to peaceful protest but claimed events between Jan. 8 and 10 were "deliberately transformed into organized violence, including terrorist attacks, destruction of property and armed actions against civilians and law enforcement."
Bahreini said "a total of 3,117 lives were lost, of which 2,427 were killed as a direct result of terrorist operations," describing the figures as the result of national investigations.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, he said, "does not recognize the legitimacy or validity of this special session and its subsequent resolution."
According to the latest data of the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the death toll from protests in Iran rose to 5,002.
A total of 26,752 people have been arrested as of the 26th day of nationwide protests in the country, according to data compiled by the organization.
At least 7,391 people have sustained severe injuries during the protests, according to the data.
Iran has been rocked by waves of protests since last month, starting on Dec. 28 at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, over the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions. Demonstrations later spread to several other cities.
Iranian officials have accused the US and Israel of backing what they describe as "armed rioters," who have carried out several attacks in public places nationwide.
US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to "hit hard" if protesters were killed, but later commended Tehran for reportedly canceling hundreds of scheduled executions.