Three days have passed since the start of large-scale joint military strikes by Israel and the United States against targets in Iran. According to official sources, more than 500 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 injured.
Multiple cities across Iran have been subjected to sustained aerial bombardment. On the first day of hostilities, a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran was reportedly struck, resulting in the deaths of 165 students. In subsequent attacks, the headquarters of Iran’s state broadcasting organization in Tehran was targeted. The strike reportedly caused significant damage to surrounding civilian structures, including Gandhi Hospital. Other hospitals and urgent medical centers have also been struck. Local police centers in Tehran were also among the sites hit in recent attacks.
Under international humanitarian law, all parties to an armed conflict are bound by the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution. Civilian objects, including schools and medical facilities, are afforded special protection under the Geneva Conventions. Deliberate or indiscriminate attacks on such facilities may constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and, depending on the circumstances, may amount to war crimes.
The current military campaign by Israel and the United States against Iran have commenced without UN Security Council authorization and while the US and Iran were engaged in negotiations. These strikes are taking place despite the fact that the US administration has failed to obtain congressional approval and while legal scholars and human rights advocates are labeling them as illegal.
While European governments have failed to condemn the US-Israeli strikes on Iran for their explicit violation of international law and failure to obtain Security Council authorization, several have condemned Iranian attacks on regional military bases and expressed political support for defensive measures. The European Union has announced that it will be strengthening its maritime security mission in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and adjacent waters.
The cumulative impact of these hostilities on civilians has been profound. Life across Iran has been severely disrupted. This conflict follows a period of intense internal political repression in Iran, in which credible human rights monitors reported more than 6,000 deaths at the hands of state security, who gunned down peaceful protesters. Some groups claim the number of those killed in the massacre to be much higher and closer to 30,000, though these figures have yet to be verified. Iranians who are traumatized and in mourning as a result of state violence, now face renewed violence, displacement, and insecurity.
Particular concern surrounds the situation of thousands of prisoners and protesters currently detained. Some face capital charges, and there are growing fears that due process rights, protection from torture, and safeguards against execution are at heightened risk amid the chaos of the ongoing conflict. Iranian authorities remain bound by their obligations under international human rights law to guarantee due process and humane treatment of all detainees.
To make matters worse, the Iranian government has once again shutdown internet access or severely restricted it, actions which inflict harm on Iranians who need to be able to access information about airstrikes, plan for their personal safety and remain in communication with family and loved ones. Restrictions on internet access have also severely impeded independent monitoring of civilian harm and the conditions of detainees, undermining critical humanitarian reporting and accountability efforts.
Femena calls for:
- An immediate ceasefire and urgent de-escalation of hostilities.
- Full compliance by all parties with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
- Protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.
- Independent, transparent investigations into all alleged violations of international law.
- Safeguards for all detainees, including access to legal counsel, family contact, and independent monitoring of detention conditions.
- Restoration of unfettered internet access to allow for documentation, independent verification, and humanitarian coordination.
- Humanitarian aid and support for Iranians impacted by the conflict, especially those made more vulnerable as a result of Iran’s economic crisis.
- Adoption of robust protection measures by the UN and European countries in support of human rights defenders.
The people of Iran, particularly children, detainees, and other vulnerable groups, must not be forced to pay the price of geopolitical conflict. Respect for international law and the protection of human dignity must remain the central priorities of all actors involved.
Femena stands in unwavering solidarity with Iran’s civil society and reaffirms its commitment to the protection of human rights, accountability, and the prevention of further loss of life.