Metro, Jan. 2, 2018 – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “regrets the deaths” reported in Iran, a country shaken by protests, and demands that “the rights to peacefully assemble and the expression of the Iranian people be respected”, said Tuesday a spokesman. “The Secretary-General is following closely the news of the protests in several cities in Iran. We regret the loss of life reported and hope that violence in the future will be avoided, “said the spokesman, Farhan Aziz Haq, during the daily press briefing of the UN. He was answering a question asking him what was Antonio Guterres’ position on these demonstrations and their repression.

“We hope that the rights to peacefully assemble and the expression of the Iranian people will be respected,” the spokesman added, denying that the UN boss was slow to react to protests in Iran.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, broke his silence on Tuesday and accused Iran’s “enemies” of undermining the regime on the sixth day of a protest movement marked by deadly violence and hundreds of thousands of deaths, arrests.

A total of 21 people – including n ine in the night from Monday to Tuesday – have been killed since the beginning of December 28 in Mashhad (north-east) rallies against economic hardship and power, which quickly spread to the all of Iran.

Canada also urged “the Iranian authorities to uphold democratic rights” on Tuesday and said it was “encouraged to see the people of Iran exercise their fundamental right to demonstrate peacefully”. Canadian authorities have also assured that they will continue “to support the fundamental rights of Iranians, including freedom of expression.”

France has also expressed “concern over the large number of victims and arrests”, while US President Donald Trump has denounced the Iranian regime.