Sixteen independent UN human rights experts on Friday called for the release of arbitrarily detained protesters in Iran who have allegedly been abused and tortured while in custody.

16 UN independent U.N Experts including Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, released a statement expressing concerns about the mistreatment of the arrested protesters in Iran and demanded fair trials for the prisoners.

The statement says: "We are deeply disturbed that the reported use of excessive force by the Iranian security forces led to an untold number of casualties, including deaths.”

Reports suggest that detainees are being tortured or are suffering other forms of ill-treatment, sometimes to extract forced confessions”, the experts continued.

Some are also reportedly being “denied medical treatment, including for injuries caused by the security forces’ use of excessive force”, and are being held in overcrowded detention centers, they asserted, adding that some are being held “incommunicado or subjected to enforced disappearances.”

We urge the Government and the judiciary to ensure that all those accused of crimes go through court proceedings that adhere to international fair trial standards, including the presumption of innocence”, the experts stated.

 “Reports and footage indicate that Iranian security forces not only fired live ammunition at unarmed protesters but also aimed at their heads and vital organs”, the experts said, pointing out that targeting these body parts “shows that the security forces were aiming to kill or at least cause serious injury”.

According to credible sources, at least 304 people, including 12 children, were confirmed dead during the protests, with unverified reports indicating that the total could be over 400 – and figures are particularly high in provinces with large ethnic minority populations.