United Nations human rights experts have found sufficient grounds to classify two US attacks in Iran as war crimes. Reports indicate that at least 177 civilians were killed in missile strikes on a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd in February. The experts also concluded that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity by carrying out widespread repression across all 31 provinces during anti-government protests in January.
Kathmandu, September 18 – UN human rights experts have determined that there is ample concrete evidence implicating the United States in two missile attacks on Iran resulting in at least 177 civilian deaths. According to a new report from an independent international fact-finding mission related to Iran, the February strikes on a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd were indiscriminate attacks. These assaults not only killed civilians but also caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure.
While the US has denied responsibility for the attack in Lamerd and stated it is investigating the Minab incident, an official from the US State Department dismissed the report’s findings as unreliable. The experts further concluded that during the January anti-government protests, Iranian authorities perpetrated crimes against humanity through extensive repression.
According to their findings, killings carried out by security forces occurred at alarming and unprecedented levels across all of Iran’s 31 provinces. Security personnel reportedly assaulted and detained injured protestors receiving medical care, and several healthcare workers were arrested, causing many injured individuals to fear seeking lifesaving treatment at medical facilities. The experts also reported that tens of thousands detained during the protests faced torture, solitary confinement, and deprived access to legal counsel.
The report highlights that following the protests, the Iranian government intensified the use of the death penalty against demonstrators. At least 29 men have been executed after expedited trials related to unrest. While the fact-finding mission stated that the exact number of deaths during the crackdown cannot be independently verified, there is sufficient cause to believe the death toll far exceeds official government figures. The Iranian government has officially designated the deceased as either members of the security forces or uninvolved civilians. US-based human rights campaigners allege that over 7,000 people, mostly protestors, have died. To date, Iran has not responded to these findings, although Iranian officials have continually denied past allegations of human rights abuses.
