UN Warns Iran Crackdown May Constitute Crimes Against Humanity, Urges Accountability

“The only way to prevent the recurrence of such abuses is through securing accountability and breaking the cycle of impunity,” Hossain said.

The United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Iran has issued a stark warning that the Iranian government’s recent crackdown on nationwide protests may amount to crimes under international law, including crimes against humanity, and said the immediate priority must be to preserve evidence and hold perpetrators accountable.

Addressing the 39th special session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mission Chair Sara Hossain described the unfolding situation as potentially the deadliest state repression in Iran since the 1979 Revolution.

Credible reports reviewed by the Mission indicate that thousands of people have been killed since protests erupted on 28 December, while Iranian authorities claim at least 300 members of the security forces have also died. More than 24,000 people have reportedly been arrested, including children, journalists, and human rights defenders.

“The only way to prevent the recurrence of such abuses is through securing accountability and breaking the cycle of impunity,” Hossain said. “Recent events underline how critical it is to halt this cycle before yet another escalation produces irreparable harm.”

Systemic violence enabled by law and impunity

According to the Mission, the Government’s response to the protests appears coordinated and systematic, unfolding within a legal framework that fails to protect fundamental rights and entrenches impunity. This, Hossain said, has enabled the recurrence and escalation of grave violations.

The demonstrations—initially sparked by economic hardship and deteriorating living conditions—rapidly spread across all 31 provinces. While some officials initially struck a conciliatory tone, the response quickly shifted toward escalating violence.

Since 8 January, authorities have imposed a near-total shutdown of internet and mobile services, isolating millions of Iranians and obstructing independent scrutiny.

Evidence of killings, torture and sexual violence

Despite the communications blackout, the Fact-Finding Mission has continued collecting testimony and visual evidence pointing to widespread and severe abuses, including:

• Unnecessary and disproportionate use of force

• Arbitrary killings and mass injuries

• Torture and ill-treatment

• Sexual and gender-based violence

• Arbitrary arrest and detention

• Forced confessions

Video footage assessed by the Mission appears to show security forces firing live ammunition into crowds that posed no imminent threat to life.

Thousands of injuries have been reported, affecting women, children and the elderly. Particularly alarming are accounts of metal pellets fired at close range into protesters’ faces, causing blinding injuries. On 10 January alone, up to 500 protesters with eye injuries were reportedly admitted to a hospital in Isfahan—echoing patterns documented during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests of 2022.

Violence claims require verification

The Mission also reviewed footage suggesting that some individuals engaged in violent acts, including arson and attacks on property. Iranian authorities have alleged assaults on medical personnel and damage to healthcare facilities and religious sites.

“These accounts need to be verified,” Hossain stressed, reiterating that international human rights law sets an extremely high threshold for the use of lethal force, which is permitted only as a last resort to protect life against an imminent threat.

Call for international action—without military escalation

Hossain emphasized that the international community must act decisively to ensure accountability, while cautioning against unilateral military intervention, which she said would violate international law. Allegations of double standards, she added, do not absolve states of their obligation to respect and protect human rights.

“The recent developments make it imperative to identify and hold to account the perpetrators and the State structures enabling this violence, and to protect victims,” she said.

A demand for justice

“International law demands an end to gross human rights violations, protection for those at risk, and a real path to truth, justice and accountability for women, men and children in Iran,” Hossain concluded.