By Micah Jonah
January 27, 2026
A United Nations expert has raised serious concerns over reports that Iranian security forces are arresting protesters while they are receiving medical treatment in hospitals, describing the action as a major violation of international law, the right to medical care.
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran, Mai Sato, disclosed that she received reports indicating that protesters linked to ongoing nationwide demonstrations were being removed from hospitals and detained by security operatives.
She also revealed that families of deceased protesters are allegedly being asked to pay between 5,000 and 7,000 dollars before the bodies of their loved ones are released, a demand she described as deeply distressing, especially given Iran’s worsening economic conditions.
Anti government protests that began in December have continued across several parts of the country, triggering what observers describe as the bloodiest crackdown since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Authorities reportedly blocked internet access nationwide from January 8.
A United States based human rights organization, HRANA, estimates that 5,937 people have died in connection with the unrest, including 214 security personnel, while official government figures place the death toll at 3,117. These figures have not been independently verified.
Medical workers who spoke anonymously confirmed that security forces had visited hospitals to search for injured protesters. One doctor in Rasht said dozens of patients with gunshot wounds were taken away by members of the Revolutionary Guards after undergoing surgery, with hospital staff left unaware of their whereabouts.
Hospital workers in Tehran also reported that security personnel demanded patient records to identify, arrest protesters who had been treated and discharged. Nurses said security officers searched hospital wards room by room.
The UN expert warned that such actions discourage injured persons from seeking medical care due to fear of arrest, increasing the risk of death or long term health complications.
She added that hospital raids violate medical neutrality and international humanitarian law, which protect doctors, hospitals and patients, guarantee impartial treatment under the Geneva Conventions.
According to reports cited by the UN, protesters in multiple provinces were shot in the chest and head, suggesting the use of lethal force. International law permits such force only as a last resort and in proportion to the threat.
The Iranian mission in Geneva did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations.
Mai Sato further criticized attempts by Iranian authorities to label protesters as terrorists or rioters, stating that such descriptions are being used to justify what she described as a brutal crackdown on an organic civilian movement.
