U.N. Condemns Iran: Calls for Investigation into Protest Crackdown

The United Nations Human Rights Council has condemned Iran for its violent crackdown on anti-government protests, urging investigations into thousands of deaths attributed to the actions. The council approved extending a probe to document the unrest, while Iran disputes external interference, maintaining its own accountability systems.

The U.N. has issued a strong condemnation against Iran for its severe crackdown on anti-government protests, calling for an investigation into the deaths of thousands. The High Commissioner, Volker Turk, urged Iranian authorities to cease their brutal repression during a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, expressing particular concern over detainees.

The council's resolution extends an existing inquiry from 2022, aiming to document recent unrest for potential legal action. Despite accusations from rights groups that bystanders were among those slain in Iran's most extensive crackdown since 1979, Tehran attributes the unrest to terrorists backed by foreign adversaries, including the U.S. and Israel.

Iran denounced the council's resolution as politically driven and stated it has its robust mechanisms to investigate the unrest's root causes. Meanwhile, nations like France, Mexico, and South Korea supported the motion, as China, India, and others opposed it. Questions remain over the funding of the extended U.N. inquiry amid financial constraints affecting other investigations.

(With inputs from agencies.)