UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Photo from the archive UN chief ‘appalled’ by reports of excessive use of force against demonstrators in Iran Human rights
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was shocked by reports of violence and excessive use of force against protesters across Iran. He called on the country’s authorities to show restraint and immediately restore communications.
“All Iranians must be able to express their demands and grievances peacefully and without fear,” the Secretary-General’s Spokesperson said in a statement issued on Sunday. “The rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, as enshrined in international law, must be fully respected and protected.”
The Secretary-General called on the Iranian authorities to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from unnecessary or disproportionate use of force. He also stressed the need to take measures to ensure the public’s access to information, including restoring communications.
Internet and mobile communications were cut off in Iran on the evening of January 8, severely limiting access to information amid escalating violence. The protests began on December 28 after the sudden collapse of Iran’s national currency and have since spread to at least 46 cities across the country. According to reports, dozens of people were killed, including at least five children, and many were injured. Iran’s parliament also reported security force deaths.