They are taken from the treatment beds: Iran continues the wave of arrests – inside the hospitals

According to Sato, actions of this type create a dangerous “chilling effect”, which discourages citizens from seeking medical treatment for fear of arrest – a situation that could lead to a worsening of their medical condition and even preventable death. She emphasized that this is a blatant violation of the principle of medical neutrality, enshrined in the Geneva Convention, which requires the protection of doctors, medical institutions and patients even in times of conflict.

According to the human rights organization HRANA, which is based in the United States, the number of people killed since the beginning of the protests is 5,937 people, including 214 members of the security forces. The official figures of the authorities are much lower and stand at 3,117 dead. Sato stated that she too cannot independently verify the numbers, but in her estimation the number of victims is significantly higher than the figures published by the regime.

The reports also indicate that unarmed demonstrators throughout 31 provinces of Iran were shot in the chest and head – injuries that indicate the use of lethal and deliberate force, and not the dispersal of demonstrations. Sato emphasized that international law permits the use of such force only as a last resort and in a proportionate manner, adding that shooting into vital areas of the body indicates illegal killing and arbitrary executions. According to her, recent reports also indicate a sharp increase in the number of eye injuries as a result of shooting rubber bullets or spray.

According to her, the Iranian regime’s attempts to present the demonstrators as “terrorists” or “rioters” are meant to justify the violent repression in retrospect. “This is a local and organic movement,” she said, “and this labeling is intended to legitimize brutal measures against civilians.”

The Iranian delegation in Geneva did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Meanwhile, since January 8, the Iranian regime has blocked access to the Internet throughout the country, another step that makes it difficult to verify information and transfer evidence from the field.