Geneva: UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk on Friday urged Iran to immediately halt all executions, warning that dozens more risk death after the first sentence linked to January’s mass protests was issued this week.
In a speech to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Turk expressed horror over reports that at least eight people — including two children — have received death sentences in connection to the unrest. He noted another 30 individuals appeared at risk of the same fate, calling for an urgent moratorium on the death penalty.
A revolutionary court in Tehran handed down a death sentence to an Iranian man accused of “enmity against God,” Reuters reported quoting a source close to his family.
If an appeal is overturned, it would mark the first execution directly connected to the January protests that rocked the country.
Rights groups estimate thousands were killed during Iran’s crackdown on the demonstrations, the most severe domestic turmoil since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The protests erupted amid economic woes and political repression, drawing widespread international condemnation.
During the unrest, US President Donald Trump warned Tehran of possible military action should authorities proceed with executions. His statements heightened fears of escalation in an already tense region.
“I am extremely alarmed about the potential for regional military escalation and its impact on civilians, and I hope the voice of reason prevails,” Turk said.
Meanwhile, Oman reported progress in Thursday’s US-Iran talks in Geneva, focused on Tehran’s nuclear programme. The mediator noted headway but cautioned no breakthrough had been achieved to avert potential US strikes amid a massive military buildup.
