The UN fact-finding mission in Iran focused on the suffering of civilians

In a report released Monday, the mission concluded that the killings were carried out by security forces “occurring massively in all provinces” Iran, during the reign “violent crackdown” at the mass protests that took place from last year to this year.

The mission also reported that at least 221 children – some as young as two years old – were killed and security forces attacked health care facilities, “beating and arresting injured protesters and arresting several health care workers, discouraging victims from seeking life-saving services.”

The mission added that tens of thousands of people were subjected to arbitrary detention, where they faced “torture, solitary confinement and denial of legal advice, while families are left without any information about the whereabouts of their loved ones, amid circumstances that raise concerns about enforced disappearances.”

The mission noted the executions of at least 29 men in connection with protests following brief trials – five of whom were executed in public – and warned that more than 70 people, including five women and three boys, remained at risk of execution.

The report concluded that “many of these grave violations constitute crimes against humanity – including murder, imprisonment, torture and other inhumane acts committed as part of widespread and systematic attacks against civilians.”

‘Reasonable reasons’

Following attacks launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February, the mission found “reasonable grounds to believe that the United States committed war crimes by carrying out indiscriminate attacks that killed or injured civilians or damaged civilian objects.”

These attacks included a Tomahawk missile strike targeting the clearly identifiable Tayyiba Primary School Tree in Minab, killing over 150 people, including approximately 120 children, as well as another airstrike in which a precision missile launched a cloud of tungsten pellets at a sports complex and clearly identifiable residential area in Lamard, killing 22 civilians.

The mission urges Iran and the United States to immediately stop “all violations and crimes,” provide full compensation to victims, and ensure that similar acts are not repeated.

Calling for peace, justice

The independent experts – who are not UN staff and do not represent any organization – reiterated the UN’s call on all combatants to immediately cease hostilities and work towards permanent peace.

“They must also ensure that allegations of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law by all parties are true independently investigated and those responsible held accountable”the report read.