LONDON: UN human rights experts have slammed the treatment of protesters in Iran as more than 20 people were reported to have died.
Demands by protesters in Iran for freedom and adequate living standards must be addressed and their rights respected, the UN said.
Iran has been rocked by opposition protests over the economy and the wider regime for several days with hundreds of arrests made.
Four UN special rapporteurs expressed extreme concern over the reported deaths of more than 20 people including children and hundreds of arrests across the country.
“We are very disturbed by the way the authorities have responded to the protests,” the experts said in a joint statement.
“We share the worries expressed by Iranian civil society groups over what will happen to the people who have been arrested.
“The names and whereabouts of all persons detained in connection with these protests ought to be made public and they should be allowed immediate access to their families and legal counsel.”
They added: “The Government’s instruction to the Revolutionary Guards to hit hard against the protesters, and the judiciary’s threats of harsh punishment, are unacceptable.
“We urge the authorities to exercise restraint and respond proportionately in their efforts to control the protests, to limit the use of force to a strict minimum, and to fully respect the human rights of the protesters, including their rights to life, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”
The UN team also highlighted reports that the Iranian authorities had blocked the Internet on mobile networks, and that social media services have been shut down in an attempt to quell the protests.
“Communication blackouts constitute a serious violation of fundamental rights,” they said. “The control and censorship of information through the blocking of Internet and messaging services represents an unlawful restriction of the right to freedom of expression and prevents the population from accessing communication and services.”
