UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed dismay at the violence and urged “an immediate stop to the arrests, threats and use of force,” UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said at UN headquarters in New York.
“He calls on the authorities to respect fundamental civil and political rights, especially the freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of information,” Montas said.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered opposition supporters on Friday to halt their marches and respect the election outcome, saying President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won a resounding victory.
Iran says at least 17 protesters have died in a week of unrest, including at least 10 killed in confrontations the day after Khamenei’s speech.
Opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has alleged widespread and systematic fraud, issued his own challenge Sunday, telling supporters: “The country belongs to you … Protesting against lies and fraud is your right.”
