UN rights office says 'hundreds' killed in Iran protests, citing sources

The U.N. human rights chief said on Tuesday (January 13) in a statement read by his spokesperson that he was "horrified" by mounting violence by Iran's security forces against peaceful protesters.

The Islamic Republic's clerical authorities are facing the biggest demonstrations since 2022 and on Sunday (January 11) a rights group said that unrest has killed more than 500 people. An Iranian official indicated on Tuesday it was higher at around 2,000.

"This cycle of horrific violence cannot continue. The Iranian people and their demands for fairness, equality and justice must be heard," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in the statement read out by U.N. rights office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence at a briefing.

Asked to comment on the scale of the killings, Laurence, citing the United Nations' own sources in Iran, said: "The number that we're hearing is hundreds."

He added that reports gathered by the U.N. indicate that telephone services are up but limited and that internet access remains patchy.

Laurence said Turk also voiced concern that the death penalty might be used against thousands of protesters who have been arrested.

Production: Ardee Napolitano/Reuters