U.N. Convenes Urgent Session on Iran's Protest Crackdown

The U.N. Human Rights Council is holding an urgent session to address violence against protesters in Iran, amid reports of over 5,000 deaths. The session is backed by 21 countries, highlighting the need for investigation into human rights violations during the country's largest demonstrations since 2022.

The U.N. Human Rights Council is set to conduct an emergency session on Friday to address the escalating violence against protesters in Iran, according to a recent document. Reports suggest that at least 5,000 people have died in these protests, marking the largest demonstrations since 2022.

Volker Turk, the U.N. rights chief, has condemned the violence. A letter from Iceland's ambassador, Einar Gunnarsson, representing several countries including Germany and Britain, highlighted the need for a special session due to credible reports of alarming violence and breaches of international human rights law.

Human Rights Watch has criticized unlawful mass killings and is advocating for an ongoing U.N. investigation to be expanded and receive additional funding. Iran has denied the allegations, claiming the confrontations are a response to armed attacks on security forces.

(With inputs from agencies.)