People took to the streets of the capital, Tehran, in the final days of December 2025, driven by the country’s cost of living crisis. Human rights groups have reported that nearly 50 have been killed and hundreds have been arrested.
To avoid further escalation, Türk said it is essential to address underlying grievances through “inclusive and meaningful dialogue.”
Information blackout
Several media outlets have reported nationwide internet and communications outages in Iran starting Thursday night.
Türk said such action undermines freedom of expression and access to information. On Friday there was an almost total information blackout.
It also negatively affects the work of those documenting human rights violations and access to essential and emergency services, he added.
Responding to a question during Friday’s midday briefing, U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said U.N. staff on the ground are “safe and under control.”
How is the right to protest enshrined in international law?
In 1948, when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted, the international community agreed that “everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association,” as set out in Article 20 of the Declaration.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also recognizes the right to peaceful assembly in Article 21. A clarifying document, General Comment No. 37, published in 2020 by the UN Human Rights Committee, provides a more elaborate interpretation.
Both Türk and Dujarric reiterated on Friday that peaceful protest is a fundamental human right.