The UN Human Rights Council will hold an emergency session on Iran in the coming days, with proponents aiming to discuss "alarming violence" used against protesters, a document showed on Tuesday.
An Iranian official said authorities have verified at least 5,000 deaths in the protests, which are the biggest demonstrations since 2022, prompting UN rights chief Volker Turk to condemn the violence.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) stated that in 2025, the regime executed at least 1500 people, using killings “as a tool of State intimidation.”
The high commissioner said that the executions had a “disproportionate impact on ethnic minorities and migrants.”
On Sunday, an Iranian official maintained that of the at least 5,000 killed, some 500 are members of regime personnel.
The official blamed "terrorists and armed rioters" for killing "innocent Iranians."
"The final toll is not expected to increase sharply," the official said, adding that "Israel and armed groups abroad" had supported and equipped those taking to the streets.
Reports from doctors on the ground stated that at least 16,500 protesters have died and 330,000 have been injured, most of them during the beginning of the regime’s digital blackout on January 8 and 9, the Sunday Times reported.
The majority of the victims are believed to be under the age of 50, with posts shared within Iran mourning the deaths of a young fashion designer, three young footballers, a champion basketball player, a movie director, and more.
Shir Perets and Danielle Greyman-Kennard contributed to this report.