UN chief Guterres 'shocked' by violence against demonstrators in Iran

UN Secretary General António Guterres on Sunday appealed to Iranian authorities to "exercise maximum restraint" amid deadly protests that have rocked the country.

"Shocked by reports of violence and excessive use of force by the Iranian authorities against protesters resulting in deaths and injuries in recent days," he wrote on X.

"The rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly must be fully respected and protected."

Guterres urged authorities to "exercise maximum restraint" and refrain from unnecessary or disproportionate use of force.

"I also urge steps that enable access to information in the country, including restoring communications," he added.

At least 544 people have been killed during the mass protests over the past 15 days, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said in a statement.

HRANA said 483 of those killed were protesters, while 47 members of military and law enforcement forces had been killed. Eight children were also recorded among the dead, alongside five people killed as non-protesting civilian citizens and a government-affiliated prosecutor.

The information could not initially be independently verified.

The actual number of fatalities could be much higher, as communication with the outside world is severely restricted due to internet blackouts and blocked phone lines.

The protests were triggered about two weeks ago by the country's crippling economic crisis but quickly turned into political demonstrations against the apparatus of the Islamic Republic.