UN rights chief warns more Iranians risk execution after protests

The UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Friday called for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in Iran, warning that more people could face execution after a court issued the first death sentence linked to January mass protests 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 told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

He added that another 30 people appear to be at risk of receiving the same sentence.

Turk urged Iranian authorities to halt executions and review the cases in line with international human rights law.