Geneva

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Tuesday said he was “horrified” by the escalating violence against protesters in Iran, condemning the killing of demonstrators and the use of excessive force by authorities.

In a post on X, Turk said, “The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labelling of protesters as ‘terrorists’ to justify violence against them is unacceptable.” He also criticised what he described as a decision by Iranian authorities “to inflict brutal force to repress legitimate demands for change.”

His remarks came amid fresh allegations from Iranian voices abroad regarding the scale of violence linked to the ongoing unrest.

Prominent Iranian activist and journalist Masih Alinejad alleged that large-scale atrocities were being committed during the protests and called for urgent international action. In a post on X, she claimed that more than 12,000 people had been killed within days of demonstrations, alleging that the internet shutdown was imposed to conceal the violence. She described the actions of Iran’s leadership as a “war crime,” accusing authorities of waging violence against unarmed civilians.

Alinejad further likened the Islamic Republic to the Islamic State group, alleging that women, children, elderly people and entire families were being targeted during the crackdown. She urged decisive international intervention to prevent further bloodshed.

Meanwhile, reports of casualties remain contested. The Times of Israel, citing Reuters, reported that around 2,000 people have been killed in protests against Iran’s regime, quoting an Iranian official who blamed “terrorists” for the deaths of civilians and security personnel. The report said this was the highest official death toll confirmed so far during the unrest.

As demonstrations continue, Iranian authorities have imposed sweeping communication restrictions. Iran’s top cyberspace authority announced on Monday that access to the global internet would remain restricted until officials determine that full security has been restored, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported.

According to Press TV, citing Mohammad Amin Aqamiri, President of Iran’s National Centre for Cyberspace, the nationwide internet blackout imposed on January 9 will continue for the time being, with the timeline for lifting restrictions to be announced after security assessments.

Aqamiri said the shutdown was necessary to counter what he described as “cognitive warfare,” adding that the domestic National Information Network has been strengthened to ensure essential services, including banking and online shopping, remain operational.

Internet monitoring group NetBlocks said that 108 hours had passed since Iran imposed the nationwide internet shutdown, leaving the population largely cut off from the global internet.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Telecom Minister Sattar Hashemi said all government departments would comply with the decision to maintain restrictions while efforts continue to eventually restore full access, Press TV reported.

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According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the protest movement has entered its 16th day, with demonstrations reported at 606 locations across 187 cities nationwide.