16 March 2026
GENEVA – As military tensions escalate in the region, Iranian authorities must immediately end their excessive use of force against civilians, release all those detained for exercising their fundamental freedoms, restore unhindered internet access and allow civil society to carry out its vital human rights work, a UN expert said today.
“If we put the people of Iran at the heart of any solution, the military escalation must stop and all parties must resume diplomatic dialogue immediately,” said Mai Sato, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. “The international community must ensure that accountability and the protection of the people of Iran remain matters of the highest priority.”
Sato presented her report to the Human Rights Council today, examining the human rights impact of the nationwide protests that began on 28 December 2025.
The Special Rapporteur said the volume of submissions received far exceeded all previous periods since Sato assumed her mandate in August 2024.
“The scale of concern was unprecedented,” Sato said. “Many submissions came from individuals with no prior history of activism, sharing their experiences at considerable personal risk. The protests reached every corner of the country, representing a cross-section of Iranian society united by a desire for a different future.”
Testimonies describe protesters, including children, being shot at close range or severely beaten by security forces. Tens of thousands of protesters, as well as medical professionals and lawyers, were reportedly arbitrarily detained, held incommunicado, denied legal representation and subjected to forced confessions broadcast on State television. Some detainees, including children, now face the death penalty.
Sato said security forces also reportedly raided hospitals, arrested wounded protesters and assaulted medical staff. Families of those killed or detained described pressure to remain silent and interference with memorials.
“Their grief is compounded by State intimidation and the denial of truth,” the expert said.
The violations point to systemic patterns rather than isolated incidents, including a failure to investigate allegations of excessive force and increasing securitisation of responses to civilian protests, Sato said.
A sharp rise in executions in 2025 for drug-related, homicide and security offences has continued into 2026 during the nationwide protests.
“The situation has further deteriorated following unlawful military strikes by Israel and the United States since my report was finalised,” she said. “In Iran, more than a thousand civilians have reportedly been killed in the attacks, a primary school struck, and several UNESCO World Heritage Sites damaged. Strikes on oil infrastructure have caused toxic black rainfall, with the World Health Organization warning of serious long-term public health consequences.”
A telecommunications shutdown imposed during the protests has been followed by a second in the wake of the military escalation, leaving Iran’s population increasingly isolated from information and from each other. The reported absence of functional air-raid sirens and bomb shelters in many urban areas adds to concerns about basic civilian protection during hostilities. Between 600,000 and one million Iranian households — up to 3.2 million people — are now temporarily displaced inside the country according to UNHCR, many fleeing Tehran and other major cities.
The military escalation has also heightened concerns about conditions in Iran’s prisons. Detainees, including tens of thousands reportedly arrested in connection with the protests, are increasingly cut off from the outside world.
“I am deeply concerned about the welfare of those in custody and the heightened risk of violations in the absence of independent scrutiny,” the Special Rapporteur said.
Despite repeated requests, Sato has not been granted permission to visit Iran.
“A visit is now more necessary than ever,” she said.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/03/un-expert-warns-deepening-human-rights-crisis-iran
