GENEVA
\nThe UN Human Rights Council is holding an urgent meeting Thursday to discuss whether to launch a high-level international investigation into the deadly crackdown on mass protests rocking Iran.
\nThe special session on Iran\u2019s \u201cdeteriorating human rights situation\u201d is due to kick off at 10:00 am (0900 GMT) in Geneva, with the new UN rights chief Volker Turk set to open the proceedings in his first appearance before the council.
\nThe meeting, requested by Germany and Iceland with the backing of more than 50 countries, follows two months of protests in Iran sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, after she was arrested for an alleged breach of the country\u2019s strict dress rules for women based on Islamic sharia law.
\nThe authorities have grown increasingly heavy-handed in their response, as the demonstrations have spread across the country and swelled into a broad movement against the theocracy that has ruled Iran since 1979.
\nAt least 416 people, including 51 children, have been killed across Iran in the crackdown since Amini\u2019s death, according to Norway-based group Iran Human Rights.
\nThousands of peaceful protesters have also been arrested, according to the United Nations, including many women, children and journalists, and six people have so far been handed death sentences over the demonstrations.
\nDuring Thursday\u2019s session, diplomats will debate a call for an international investigation of alleged violations linked to the ongoing protests.
\nThe so-called independent international fact-finding mission should include \u201cthe gender dimensions of such violations\u201d in its investigations, according to the draft resolution, presented by Germany and Iceland.
\nThe text calls for the investigators to \u201ccollect, consolidate and analyse evidence of such violations, and to preserve evidence,\u201d with a view to future prosecution.
\nGerman Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who like her Icelandic counterpart will be in Geneva for the session, stressed on Twitter \u201chow important it is for the victims that those responsible are held accountable.\u201d
\nDiplomats and rights activists voiced strong support for the initiative.
\n\u201cWe must do all we can to expose the truth of what is happening inside Iran and support the calls of the Iranian people for justice and accountability,\u201d US ambassador Michele Taylor said.
\nTara Sepehri Far, an Iran researcher with Human Rights Watch, urged the council to \u201cshine a spotlight on the deepening repression and… hold those responsible accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GENEVA The UN Human Rights Council is holding an urgent meeting Thursday to discuss whether to launch a high-level international investigation into the deadly crackdown on mass protests rocking Iran. The special session on Iran\u2019s \u201cdeteriorating human rights situation\u201d is due to kick off at 10:00 am (0900 GMT) in Geneva, with the new UN […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":297268,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1328,1227,11541,5732,11543],"class_list":{"0":"post-297251","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-crackdown","9":"tag-iran","10":"tag-leadpakistan","11":"tag-spotlight","12":"tag-un-rights-council"},"yoast_head":"\n