Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

UN to Convene Emergency Iran Rights Session in Geneva


(MENAFN) The United Nations Human Rights Council announced Tuesday it will convene an emergency session Friday in Geneva to address Iran's spiraling human rights crisis.

The special meeting comes after Iceland formally requested the gathering Tuesday, with backing from Germany, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, the UK, and Northern Ireland, the council disclosed in an official statement.

At least 21 member states and 30 observer nations have endorsed the request—surpassing the one-third threshold of the council's 47 members required under procedural rules to trigger an emergency session.

Mass demonstrations have swept through Iran since protests erupted at Tehran's Grand Bazaar last month, sparked by the Iranian rial's dramatic collapse and deepening economic distress. The unrest has since expanded to multiple cities across the nation.

Iranian authorities have blamed the US and Israel for allegedly supporting what they characterize as "armed rioters," who officials say have launched numerous attacks at public locations throughout the country.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports the protest death toll has climbed to 4,029. The organization documented 26,015 arrests through the 23rd day of nationwide demonstrations, while at least 5,811 individuals have suffered serious injuries during the civil unrest, according to their latest figures.

This marks the council's second emergency session on Iran's human rights record since November 2022, when members focused specifically on violations affecting women and children.

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