UN rights chief warns that more Iranians face execution over protests

The U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk on Friday called for an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty in Iran, warning that dozens more people risk execution after the first death sentence linked to January mass protests was issued this week.

"I am horrified by reports that at least eight people, including two children, have been sentenced to death in connection with the protests," Turk said in a speech to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, adding that another 30 people appeared to be at risk of the same sentence.

Rights groups say thousands of people were killed in a crackdown on the protests, the worst domestic unrest in Iran since the era of its 1979 Islamic Revolution. During the unrest, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran that he could order military action if it carried out executions.

"I am extremely alarmed about the potential for regional military escalation and its impact on civilians, and I hope the voice of reason prevails," Turk said in the same speech.



Reuters