Against the background of protests that have been going on for more than two months in Iran, “a full humanitarian crisis is unfolding”, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk announced today in Geneva. Addressing the Iranian authorities, the UN official urged them to refrain from using force against the protesters.
“The unnecessary and disproportionate use of force must be stopped. Old methods and the psychology of a besieged fortress cannot be an excuse for such actions,” declared the UN human rights commissioner, asserting that according to the most modest estimates, 300 people, including 40 children, have died in Iran since the start of the protest wave.
“About 14 thousand people were arrested in connection with these demonstrations. This is an astonishing number,” claimed Volker Türk.