“Law enforcement officials have the right to defend themselves, and a duty to protect the safety of the public. However, reports of the use of firearms against unarmed protesters by security forces are deeply troubling and would contravene Iran’s human rights obligations under international law,” said Philip Luther of Amnesty International.
He called for an “effective and independent” investigation into killings of protesters and reports of excessive force.
At least 21 people have been killed in anti-government protests that broke out a week ago. Demonstrators are protesting high unemployment, inflation, and high costs for basic goods.
Protesters have raged against government spending on external matters like wars in Syria and Yemen, overlooking the needs of the people of Iran. Some have called for regime change.
Amnesty International accused Iranian authorities of “aggressive rhetoric” in their response to the protests and calls for a crackdown.
“The escalation in the intimidation of protesters and the grossly disproportionate restrictions imposed on the right to freedom of expression online over recent days heightens fears that the Iranian authorities may resort to increasingly heavy-handed tactics to crush dissenting voices,” said Luther.
Iranian officials have threatened harsh punishments for those taking their grievances with the government to the streets and authorities have published photos and videos of protests, asking for help from the public to identify people involved.
According to Amnesty International, more than one thousand people have been arrested and are now detained “in jails notorious for torture and other ill-treatment.”
The right monitor called for the immediate release of all persons detained for peacefully protesting or supporting the protests. And those who are suspected of partaking in the violence that has occurred in some of the protests, must receive fair trials, Luther added.
“Peaceful protest is a right, and many people in Iran want to exercise that right. Instead of opting for repression and absurdly accusing protesters of collusion in foreign-orchestrated plots, the Iranian authorities should address their own record of failure to respect a range of civil, political, economic and social rights,” he stated.
Separately, a group of six Iranian human rights lawyers have demanded prosecution of officials who encouraged violence against the protesters.
“The regime’s agents have no right to break up lawful gatherings and beat up people,” said Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi said in an interview with the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).
She is one of six lawyers who issued the statement demanding “the immediate termination and independent prosecution of some officials whose statements have had a critical impact in inciting emotions and violence during the people’s lawful and peaceful demonstrations.”
Ebadi estimated that some three to four thousand people have been arrested. She had earlier described the protests as a “starting point of a great movement.”
She reminded protesters to remain peaceful, but urged them to stay in the streets and “know that it is their right to do so.”
The lawyers maintain that protests are allowed under the constitution provided they are peaceful and “not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.”
Human Rights Watch has also called for Iran to investigate the deaths of protesters.
“Rather than issue barely veiled threats against protesters, the authorities should investigate these deaths, ensure the rights of all detainees, and guarantee that people can protest freely and peacefully,” stated Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, on Tuesday.
The UN’s human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has said Iranian authorities must ensure “all security forces respond in a manner that is proportionate and strictly necessary, and fully in line with international law.”
Iran authorities have accused "enemies" of the Islamic Republic of masterminding the protests.
Public Prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri said the United States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia were behind a four-year plan created by a former CIA officer to create unrest in Iran, according to IRNA.
Montazeri said they modelled their Iranian plan on Libya and established operation rooms in Erbil and Herat, Afghanistan.
The "stupid president" of the United States backed the protests on Twitter, Montazeri added.
Donald Trump has been a vocal supporter of the protests, tweeting regularly his condemnation of the Iranian regime.
Iran has also accused Western-based news agencies of "media hype," IRNA reported.
According to the news agency, Iran's embassy in London submitted a formal complaint about Persian-language media in Britain, claiming the media outlets violated the law by urging protesters to riot.
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