On Monday, the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Iran and Special Rapporteur on Iran called for the protection of civilians and respect for international law.
The statement pressed the Iranian government to take more steps to protect civilians from armed attacks. It highlighted the absence of effective warning systems and limited access to adequate bomb shelters. It also singled out the vulnerability of prisoners held near bombing sites and expressed concern over the Iranian government’s restrictions on internet access and messaging apps impeding the ability of civilians to coordinate, share information, and communicate with family members.
Officials also voiced concern over broadly defined national security offenses. They stated that arbitrary arrests of activists, journalists, and Afghan nationals over accusations of espionage raised alarms about due process and fair trials, especially in light of Iran’s reported execution rates.
Experts also alleged that some Israeli strikes may have targeted civilians rather than military sites. It cited rocket strikes that killed dozens in a Tehran apartment complex, including three humanitarian workers from the Iranian Red Crescent, as well as strikes that damaged a hospital and a clinic for children with autism. Experts expressed concern that Israeli attacks like these deliberately targeted civilians, including an attack on the headquarters of Iran’s state broadcasting agency and the targeted killing of scientists.
Concerns about targeting civilians spring from the principle of distinction in international humanitarian law. Article 48 of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the 1949 Geneva Conventions requires parties in armed conflict to “at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants” and to “direct their operations only against military objectives.” Iran is a signatory to the Additional Protocol. While Israel is not, the country has recognized the principle of distinction as a fundamental principle in international humanitarian law.
The conflict between Israel and Iran has escalated to impact thousands of Israeli and Iranian civilians, who have become the victims of waves of drone and missile strikes. The UN’s condemnations of the conflict echo a June 20 statement by a group of UN experts who said that Israel’s attacks “represent a flagrant violation of fundamental principles of international law, a blatant act of aggression and a violation of jus cogens norms.” They added that acts of escalation of the Israeli-Iranian conflict “strike at the core of the international system founded on respect for the sovereign equality of states, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the prohibition of unilateral military action.”
