UN rights chief 'horrified' by violent crackdown on Iran protesters as death toll mounts
Volker Turk says the labelling of peaceful protesters as "terrorists" to justify violence against them is unacceptable," as the death toll from the unrest was put at around 2,000.
The United Nations rights chief Volker Turk voiced horror at the mounting violence directed at protesters across Iran, amid reports that hundreds have been killed.
"The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labelling of protesters as 'terrorists' to justify violence against them is unacceptable," Turk said in a statement, decrying the authorities' decision "to inflict brutal force to repress legitimate demands for change".
Meanwhile, an Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that around 2,000 people were killed in Iran protests, blaming "terrorists" for the deaths of civilians and security personnel.
The biggest protest in three years
The protests, the biggest in three years, come at a moment of vulnerability as economic hardship deepens and international pressure builds, despite being smaller than earlier waves of unrest.
Protests began a week ago among bazaar traders and shopkeepers before spreading to university students and then provincial cities, where some protesters have been chanting against Iran's clerical rulers.
Iran has had inflation above 36 percent since the start of its year in March and the rial currency has lost around half its value against the dollar, causing hardship for many people.
International sanctions over Iran's expensive nuclear programme have been reimposed, the government has struggled to provide water and electricity across the country through the year and global financial bodies predict a recession in 2026.
Authorities have attempted a dual approach to the protests , acknowledging the economic crisis and offering dialogue with demonstrators while meeting more forceful displays of dissent with violence.
The country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that although authorities would talk to protesters, "rioters should be put in their place".