The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has called today to immediately release thousands of protesters who have been arbitrarily deprived of their liberty while exercising their legitimate rights to freedom of expression, and to stop using the death penalty as a tool to squash protests.
“As of the 12th of November, excessive use of force used by security forces has led to the killing of at least 326 individuals, including 43 children and 25 women,” told OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence a news briefing at the United Nations in Geneva.
The UN Human Rights Office recalled, that under international law, countries that have not yet abolished the death penalty may only impose it for the “most serious crimes” which is interpreted as crimes of extreme gravity, involving intentional killing.
“We therefore call on the Iranian authorities to immediately impose a moratorium on the death penalty, and to refrain from charging capital crimes, and to revoke death sentences issued for crimes not qualifying as the most serious crimes,” said OHCHR’s Jeremy Laurence.
Protests against Iran's government erupted two months ago after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly breaking the strict hijab rules. Demonstrations are reported to have spread to 140 cities and towns and evolved into the most significant challenge to the Islamic Republic in over a decade.
Instead of opening space for dialogue on legitimate grievances, the authorities are responding to unprecedented protests with increasing severity, according to OHCHR.
“On Sunday, an Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran found an unnamed protester guilty of moharebeh, or ‘waging war against God’, and efsad-e-fel-arz, or ‘corruption on earth’ for allegedly damaging public property and the person was sentenced to death.”
OHCHR reported that the Tehran prosecutor said that more than 1,000 indictments had been issued against those arrested in relation to protest in Tehran province alone. Hundreds of other indictments have been issued in the rest of the country.
“We urge the authorities to immediately release all those detained in connection to peaceful protests, and to drop the charges against them”, said Jeremy Laurence. He added that «human rights law protects the rights of people to peaceful assembly and to freedom of expression.”
The UN Human Rights Council will hold a special session to address “the deteriorating human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran” on Thursday, 24 November.
-ends-
- Medium shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
- Wide shot, press room with panel of speakers.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), OHCHR spokesperson, Jeremy Laurence: “As of the 12th of November, excessive use of force used by security forces has led to the killing of at least 326 individuals, including 43 children and 25 women.”
- Medium shot, camerawomen filming, staff monitoring.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), OHCHR spokesperson, Jeremy Laurence: “On Sunday, an Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran found an unnamed protester guilty of moharebeh, or ‘waging war against God’, and efsad-e-fel-arz, or ‘corruption on earth’ for allegedly damaging public property and the person was sentenced to death.”
- Medium shot, journalists taking notes.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), OHCHR spokesperson, Jeremy Laurence: “We urge the authorities to immediately release all those detained in connection to peaceful protests, and to drop the charges against them. Human rights law protects the rights of people to peaceful assembly and to freedom of expression.”
- Medium shot, staff monitoring, journalists taking notes.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), OHCHR spokesperson, Jeremy Laurence: “We therefore call on the Iranian authorities to immediately impose a moratorium on the death penalty, and to refrain from charging capital crimes, and to revoke death sentences issued for crimes not qualifying as the most serious crimes.”
- Close-up shot, journalists taking notes.
- Medium shot, press room with panel of speakers.
- Close-up shot, journalists taking notes.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC Ebola outbreak: hundreds of suspected cases, no vaccine
A fast-spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has health workers rushing to stop transmission while the roll out of any potential vaccine is months away, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
A UN Human Rights Office report released today covers 19 months of large-scale violations of international law including atrocity crimes, from October 2023 to the end of May 2025.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
At least six million people in Somalia are going days without enough food, UN aid teams warned on Friday, highlighting that nearly two million of this number are young children “at high risk of illness or death”.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO
Children shot, stabbed and pepper-sprayed in occupied West Bank; scores of Gaza amputees denied prosthetics, aid teams warn
Israeli military operations and surging settler attacks in the occupied West Bank are killing and maiming Palestinian children, while in Gaza tens of thousands with life-changing injuries lack access to treatment and rehabilitation, UN agencies warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
The risk of hantavirus spreading to the general population is “absolutely low”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , IFRC
Death and destruction have continued unabated in Lebanon while communities are still unable to return to their homes despite a ceasefire that began on 17 April, humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Deadly hantavirus on board cruise ship may be transmitted among humans - WHO
Hantavirus victims on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean may have been infected prior to joining the cruise and human-to-human transmission on board cannot be ruled out – although it is rare - the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN rights chief concerned by upheld convictions of Cambodian activists.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , OHCHR
Middle East crisis puts aid, food, fuel further out of reach for millions already struggling – UN agencies
As the Middle East crisis continues the humanitarian fallout is worsening, with aid route disruptions and food and fuel price hikes wrecking the lives and rights of the most vulnerable, UN agencies warned on Friday.
1
1
2
Edited News | UNMAS
Demining experts from around the world have been sharing their collective shock at the widespread and growing threat from unexploded ordnance, the new head of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office in Syria conducted a 5-day visit to the northeast of the country where they received accounts of human rights violations and abuses.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Sudan: ‘History repeating itself’ for Darfur’s children - UNICEF
Mass atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur 20 years ago reverberated as far as Hollywood, but today, a new generation of children faces attacks, hunger and displacement in an emergency largely ignored by the outside world, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.