UN Rights Chief Slams Deadly Repression in Iran as Protests Escalate Over Economic Turmoil

UN Rights Chief Slams Deadly Repression in Iran as Protests Escalate Over Economic Turmoil

The UN also raised grave concerns about announcements from judicial authorities hinting at the imposition of death sentences on demonstrators via fast-tracked trials.

By RMN News Service
New Delhi | January 14, 2026

GENEVA – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, voiced deep alarm on Tuesday over the escalating brutality against demonstrators in Iran, where protests triggered by a severe economic downturn have led to hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests.

The wave of unrest erupted on December 28, 2025, ignited by rampant inflation and the Iranian rial’s plunge to an unprecedented low of 1.4 million to the U.S. dollar. What began as a strike by shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar has ballooned into widespread demonstrations across over 100 cities in all 31 provinces of the country.

Türk highlighted that diverse segments of Iranian society are calling for sweeping reforms in government, but authorities have met these calls with severe crackdowns to stifle what he described as “legitimate demands.” The UN has urged an immediate halt to the lethal targeting of peaceful protesters, rejecting the government’s tactic of branding them as “terrorists” to rationalize the violence.

Compounding the crisis, Iranian officials enforced a complete nationwide blackout of internet and telecommunications services starting January 8, severely hampering efforts by human rights observers to document abuses and interrupting essential emergency services. Hospitals across the nation are reportedly inundated with injured individuals, including children, amid the ongoing clashes.

The UN also raised grave concerns about announcements from judicial authorities hinting at the imposition of death sentences on demonstrators via fast-tracked trials. “This cycle of horrific violence cannot continue,” Türk declared, stressing the need for accountability for perpetrators in line with global human rights norms.

In his statement, the High Commissioner reaffirmed the right of Iranians to assemble peacefully and insisted that their calls for equity, fairness, and justice deserve resolution rather than forceful suppression.