The United Nations Fact-Finding Mission, expressing grave concern over the escalation of violence against protesters, called on the Iranian regime to immediately end the suppression of protests, fully restore internet and mobile communications, and respect citizens’ fundamental rights, including the right to peaceful protest.
In a statement published on Saturday, January 10, the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission said it had received credible reports indicating that security forces had been ordered to confront protesters without restraint and in a “decisive” manner, as nationwide protests entered their third week.
According to the statement, on the evening of January 8, internet and mobile communications in Iran were cut off, a move that, alongside rising violence, has severely restricted citizens’ access to information.
The statement said the protests began on December 28 following the sudden collapse in the value of Iran’s national currency.
According to a statement by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the protests have since spread to at least 192 cities across Iran and 120 locations in Tehran.
The Fact-Finding Mission said that as of January 7, more than 40 people, including at least five children, had been killed in provinces such as Qom, Yasuj, Kermanshah, Ilam, and Lorestan. At the same time, Iran’s parliament has also reported the deaths of a number of security forces.
The statement, reads in part:
“The Fact-Finding Mission reiterates that Iranian women, men, and children deserve to live safely, with dignity, and with full respect for their rights, including the right to peacefully protest, and to do so without oppressive violence, intimidation or repression by the State.”
The Fact-Finding Mission also emphasized that threats or acts of unilateral military intervention by other governments are contrary to international law and, according to the body, should not be used as a pretext for violating citizens’ rights or escalating violence inside Iran.
The Mission further called on officials of the Iranian regime to respect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and to unconditionally release all individuals who have been arbitrarily detained solely for exercising their legal rights.
The Fact-Finding Mission said it is reviewing videos and images circulated from Iran that show security forces opening fire on protesters.
Iran Protests Reach Fourteenth Day Amid Internet Blackout and Nationwide Clashes
At the same time, the body also pointed to images showing some individuals setting fire to buildings and vehicles in public areas.
Another area of concern for the Mission is the widespread use of force in regions inhabited by ethnic minorities, where, according to reports, security forces’ responses have been particularly violent.
In one reported case, security forces raided a hospital in Ilam, used tear gas, and assaulted patients and medical staff.
The Fact-Finding Mission stressed that the current pattern of repression closely resembles the crackdown on protests in 2022, which erupted after the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman.
Those protests were accompanied by widespread reports of serious human rights violations and the systematic impunity of those responsible for the repression.
The body recalled that the Fact-Finding Mission was established by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2022 and is mandated to investigate human rights violations related to protests in Iran, particularly those involving women and children.
The Mission’s mandate was extended for another year in April 2025 to also investigate new and ongoing cases of serious human rights violations in Iran.
