UN Secretary-General Responds to Violence in Iran
Fifteen days after the emergence of violent incidents, including murders and massacres targeting protesters against Iran’s Islamic regime, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has finally spoken out. On Sunday, he expressed being “shocked” by the actions taken against those fighting for freedom and urged for calm and restraint.
Guterres, who was Portugal’s Prime Minister from 1995 to 2002 and led the Socialist Party, stated through his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, that he was alarmed by reports of harsh violence and the excessive force used by Iranian authorities against demonstrators. He called for the authorities to “exercise utmost restraint and refrain from unnecessary or unjustified use of force.”
His spokesperson further emphasized that “All Iranians must be able to express their grievances peacefully and without fear.” The fundamental rights of freedom of expression, assembly, and association, which are protected under international law, need to be fully respected, he added.
According to the US-based Human Rights Defenders News Agency, over 500 protests have taken place across all 31 provinces in Iran. Tragically, the death toll has climbed to at least 544, with more than 10,600 individuals arrested. There’s a growing alarm regarding allegations of “genocide” aimed at quelling these demonstrations.
Initially sparked by frustrations over rising living costs, these protests have evolved into a wider movement opposing the theocratic regime established since the 1979 revolution. Now, two weeks into the unrest, the situation poses a significant challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, 86, particularly following a recent conflict involving Israel and the Islamic Republic that received US backing.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump echoed public support for the Iranian protesters through his social media, suggesting they are “looking at freedom more than perhaps ever before.” He also cautioned that his administration would be closely monitoring the situation as protests continue despite an extensive communications blackout.
As reported, Ayatollah Khamenei had recently predicted President Trump would be “overthrown.” This coincides with human rights groups drawing attention to a rising death toll and the ongoing “genocide” that has unfolded amid mass arrests and extreme force against demonstrators, a situation that may provoke a response from the US as indicated by Trump.
