The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, has called for an independent and transparent investigation into reports of deaths and widespread arrests during ongoing nationwide protests in Iran, amid mounting concerns over the use of force by security forces.
Türk, in a statement on Friday said he was “deeply disturbed” by the violence reported over nearly two weeks of demonstrations, stressing that those responsible for any violations must be held to account in line with international human rights standards.
People took to the streets of the capital, Tehran, in the final days of December 2025 fuelled by the country’s cost-of-living crisis. Rights groups have reported that nearly 50 have been killed and hundreds arrested.
The demonstrations, which now span all 31 provinces, began as a protest against an economy in freefall. But they soon broadened to demand the overthrow of the authoritarian Islamic regime that has ruled the nation of around 92 million since 1979.
Though the rallies have been largely peaceful, with chants of “Freedom” and “Death to the Dictator,” some government buildings have been vandalized.
Doctors said authorities removed corpses from the hospital on Friday. Most of the dead were young people, he said, including several killed outside a northern Tehran police station when security forces sprayed machine gun fire at protesters, who died “on the spot.” Activists reported at least 30 people were shot in the incident.
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Human rights groups on Friday reported much lower death tolls than the physician, though the discrepancy might be explained by differing reporting standards. The D.C.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency, which tallies only victims who have been identified, reported at least 63 deaths since the start of the protests, including 49 civilians.
Multiple news outlets have reported nationwide internet and communication shutdowns in Iran as of Thursday night.
Türk said such action undermined freedom of expression and access to information.
“There has been a near total news blackout on Friday.
“It also adversely impacts the work of those documenting human rights violations and access to essential and emergency services,” he added.
Responding to a question during Friday’s noon briefing, the UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said UN staff on the ground were “safe and accounted for.”
In 1948, when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted, the international community agreed that “everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association,” as outlined in Article 20 of the Declaration.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also recognises the right to peacefully assemble in Article 21. A clarifying document, General comment No. 37, published in 2020 by the UN Human Rights Committee, provides a more elaborate interpretation.
Both Türk and Dujarric reiterated on Friday that demonstrating peacefully is a fundamental human right.
NAN
