Iran's Human Rights Headquarters in a statement on Saturday rapped Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Rupert Colville Locatio for his support for rioters in the recent unrests in the country. RNA - "It is regretting that the positions of the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and some of the rapporteurs who issued statements are in line with supporting the rioters and violators of the nation's rights," the Headquarters said in the statement.
It added that the rapporteurs' alleged concerns came as they deliberately ignored the saboteurs' destruction of public properties and killing and wounding of the innocent people, including women and children.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran clearly considers protest as people's right and recognizes the right of peaceful protest rallies and has clear regulations and supportive and guaranteed laws for gatherings," the statement said.
On November 15, the government raised Iran’s extremely cheap gas price in order to moderate the national consumption rate, which stands at 110 million liters per day, 40 million liters above the maximum domestic requirement.
The government also announced a number of aid and subsidiary programs to protect vulnerable households from the adverse effects of the measure.
According to Fars News Agency, the price reform, required by Iranian legislature and essential as US-imposed sanctions seek to deplete Iran's budgetary resources, had been long delayed due to concerns regarding the move's probable backlash.
The measure's adoption prompted initially peaceful protests, but riotous elements, abusing the situation, quickly entered the scene, destroying public property, setting ablaze banks and gas stations among other facilities, and opening fire on people and security forces.
Intelligence reports and eye-witness accounts showed that the rioters who had taken advantage of public protests against gasoline price hikes to stir chaos in the country were armed with different weapons.
After the unrests, Colville claimed in a statement that "we are deeply concerned by reported violations of international norms and standards on the use of force, including the firing of live ammunition, against demonstrators in Iran during the protests that began on Friday (November 15) and have continued into this week. We are especially alarmed that the use of live ammunition has allegedly caused a significant number of deaths across the country".
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