Iran detaining protesters being treated in hospitals as part of crackdown, says UN expert


Buses that were burned during Iran's protests, in Tehran, Iran, January 21, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

GENEVA/DUBAI, Jan ‌26 (Reuters) - A U.N. expert on Iran said on Monday she had received reports of protesters linked to nationwide demonstrations being removed ‌from hospitals and detained by Iranian security forces - a major violation of the right to medical care under international law.

United ‌Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran, Mai Sato, also told Reuters in an interview via video link that families were facing demands for ransoms of $5,000 to $7,000 to retrieve the bodies of loved ones, a crushing burden amid Iran's mounting economic woes.

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