GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The UN rights chief on Thursday urged US President Donald Trump to “disavow false and dangerous narratives”, saying the storming of the Capitol showed the destructive impact of “incitement to violence and hatred”.

Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, backed calls for a thorough investigation into Wednesday’s chaos in Washington.

A mob of supporters whipped up by Trump stormed the legislature in a shocking assault on the heart of US democracy.

“We are deeply troubled by Wednesday’s attack on the US Capitol, which demonstrated clearly the destructive impact of sustained, deliberate distortion of facts, and incitement to violence and hatred by political leaders,” Bachelet said in a statement.

“Allegations of electoral fraud have been invoked to try to undermine the right to political participation.

“We are encouraged to see that the process has continued in spite of serious attempts to disrupt it.

“We call on leaders from across the political spectrum, including the president of the United States, to disavow false and dangerous narratives, and encourage their supporters to do so as well.”

The former Chilean president also noted “with dismay the serious threats and destruction of property faced by media professionals”.

“We support calls from many quarters for a thorough investigation into Wednesday’s events.”