UN office urges Iran to free detained peaceful protesters

The UN Human Rights office is calling on Iran’s government to immediately release thousands of people who have been detained for participating in peaceful protests, as Western countries seek to ratchet up scrutiny of Tehran’s crackdown against demonstrators, AP reports.

According to the report, spokesman, Jeremy Laurence, of the office of the UN High Commission for Human Rights said it was calling for all charges to be dropped against the demonstrators.

“Iran can only mete out the death penalty for the “most serious crimes” under international law — amid concerns that some protesters could be facing capital punishment,” Laurence said at a regular UN press briefing in Geneva.

“Instead of opening space for dialogue on legitimate grievances, the authorities are responding to unprecedented protests with increasing harshness,” he added.

Iranian women, and some men, have been protesting the government’s severe restrictions on their daily life since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code.

READ: Iran judiciary says it will deal firmly with protesters