He said the violent crackdown did not solve any of Iran’s problems, but rather created the conditions for new violations, instability and bloodshed.
“We have indications that security forces carried out mass arrests in several cities, including chasing the wounded to hospitals and detaining lawyers, human rights defenders, activists and ordinary civilians,” he told diplomats.
Processing in progress
“The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office has reportedly opened criminal cases against athletes, actors, people involved in the film industry and cafe owners, accused of supporting the protests,” Türk continued.
Protests broke out across Iran on December 28 in response to the collapse of the national currency, soaring inflation, and worsening living conditions.
Also speaking at the Council, former international prosecutor Payam Akhavan described how one protester pretended to be dead in a body bag for three days until his parents found him.
The civil society representative stated that parents searching for their relatives usually start in hospitals, where “many of the injured (protesters) have been kidnapped and murdered.”
Others have been forced to sign confessions blaming imaginary “terrorists” for the murder of their children, Akhavan said.
He cited a medical report circulating among Iranian doctors according to which 16,500 people had died during the demonstrations. “The number increases day by day, because the murders have not stopped,” he said.
Rejection of Myanmar military’s ‘fraudulent’ elections must be unequivocal: UN independent expert
The international community must unequivocally reject as illegitimate the election results in Myanmar and any proxy deal that follows, Tom Andrews, Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said on Friday.
The UN-appointed independent expert called the elections, which began in late December and are expected to conclude this weekend, “fraudulent” and urged countries not to accept the results.
“The junta is counting on world fatigue, hoping that the international community will accept a military government in civilian clothes,” he said. “Governments must not allow that to happen.”
‘Fear and coercion’
The junta’s election plan was marked by violence, low turnout and widespread coercion, Andrews said.
Voters reported being monitored and pressured by local authorities, with explicit or implicit threats. Junta officials pushed citizens to polling stations even as military planes bombed villages across the country.
Andrews added that the junta banned credible opposition parties, imprisoned popular political figures and muzzled the press, “crushing fundamental freedoms and using fear and coercion to drive a reluctant electorate to the polls.”
UN migration chief backs EU presidency’s migration efforts
This week, the head of the United Nations Migration Agency (IOM), Amy Pope, concluded a visit to Cyprus after a round of high-level talks, which focused on promoting a comprehensive migration and asylum agenda.
“Cyprus knows what it means to be on the front line, and that experience really matters right now,” Ms Pope said. “As the European Union (EU) moves from agreement to action, now is the time to ensure that policies really work: for migrants, communities and countries.
This trip marks the IOM Chief’s first visit to Cyprus in her current role, as Cyprus assumes the Presidency of the EU Council and the EU begins to implement the historic Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Human returns
In the face of persistent instability in Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan and the Sahel, Ms Pope reaffirmed IOM’s support and commitment to the EU to ensure that the return of refugees is humane and dignified.
During his visit, he highlighted the urgent need to address conditions along key migration routes, and IOM emphasized efforts to curb irregular migration, disrupt smuggling networks, meet humanitarian needs and save lives.
Ms Pope also called for stronger immigration data systems and evidence-based policymaking.
Almost 600,000 people affected by floods in Mozambique
Nearly 600,000 people have been affected by severe flooding in southern and central Mozambique. Weeks of intense and sustained rain have caused the collapse of homes and the destruction of roads, displacing more than 73,000 people, according to IOM figures.
Flooding has been reported in 10 of Mozambique’s 11 provinces, and Gaza province “hosts significant concentrations of displaced people.” Humanitarian response partners expect reported numbers to increase as access to affected communities improves.
IOM teams there have described severe shelter shortages, limitations on food and basic services, overcrowded centers and limited access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, increasing the risk of the spread of waterborne diseases.
Preliminary reports from the International Red Cross (IFRC) indicated between 50 and 60 deaths, a figure that will likely rise as water levels recede.
Response before cyclone season
Following a Government request for international support on January 16, including air resources for search and rescue efforts, IOM plans to request up to $20 million to bolster life-saving assistance and strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene.
Given that this is just the beginning of the cyclone season and dams are almost at capacity, IFRC representatives have stressed the need to invest in early warning systems, climate-resilient infrastructure and locally led preparedness.