The United Nations has raised the alarm over serious human rights violations in Iran, reporting that Iranian authorities are arresting injured protesters directly from hospitals.
The UN special envoy for Iran, Mai Sato, told Reuters she had received numerous complaints that security forces had entered hospitals, removed injured protesters and arrested them. She said families had been asked to pay between $5,000 and $7,000 to retrieve the bodies of their relatives.
The Iranian human rights organization HRANA reports at least 5,937 casualties, including 214 members of the security forces, while the official figures from Iranian authorities speak of 3,117 dead. Sato stressed that, although the figures cannot be fully confirmed by independent sources, the real number of casualties is believed to be significantly higher than the official figure.
Testimony from medical personnel in several Iranian cities shows that members of the Revolutionary Guard and police have searched hospitals, demanded patient files and arrested protesters after medical treatment. These actions, according to the UN, have created a climate of fear and are preventing citizens from seeking medical help.
Sato called these practices a grave violation of medical neutrality and the Geneva Conventions, describing some cases as unlawful killings and arbitrary executions.
Meanwhile, Iran's Health Ministry has urged the injured to report to hospitals, stating that they should not be afraid of medical treatment. However, reports from international human rights organizations continue to raise serious concerns about the safety of protesters and respect for fundamental freedoms in the country.
