AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Human Rights Headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in a statement condemning the U.S. attack on residential areas and the martyrdom of civilians in Qeshm, announced, "The fundamental right to life, recognized in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, requires states to prevent the arbitrary deprivation of life. The killing of family members in their home is a clear example of the violation of this fundamental right and a disregard for the inherent dignity of human beings."
The Human Rights Headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the renewed attack by U.S. military forces on various areas of the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly the attack on a residential home in the Chah-Tangu neighborhood of Qeshm Island, which resulted in the martyrdom of three family members and the injury of two other children.
The statement added, "Intentional or reckless attacks on residential areas and civilian sites constitute a clear and gross violation of peremptory norms of international law, especially international humanitarian law. Based on the principle of distinction, reflected in Article 48 of Additional Protocol I of 1977 to the Geneva Conventions, parties to a conflict are always obliged to distinguish between military objectives and civilians, as well as between military objectives and civilian property, and to direct their attacks solely at military objectives."
The statement continued, "According to Articles 51 and 52 of the same protocol, attacks against civilians and civilian objects are prohibited, and any indiscriminate or disproportionate attack resulting in civilian casualties is considered a serious violation of international humanitarian law. These principles, in addition to treaty provisions, are part of customary international law and are binding on all states."
The statement added, "On the other hand, the fundamental right to life, recognized in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, requires states to prevent the arbitrary deprivation of life. The killing of family members in their home is a clear example of the violation of this fundamental right and a disregard for the inherent dignity of human beings."
The Human Rights Headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressing sympathy with the grieving families of this crime, considers the attack on residential homes and the killing of civilians, especially women and children, as a clear example of a gross violation of international humanitarian law and a clear instance of "American human rights"; an approach in which claims of defending human rights have in practice been replaced by resorting to force, killing civilians, and violating fundamental principles of international law.
The statement added, "The silence, passivity, and double standards of many UN human rights mechanisms in the face of such crimes have increasingly challenged the credibility and effectiveness of the international human rights protection system. The continuation of this selective and politicized approach will pave the way for the spread of impunity and the recurrence of crimes against defenseless people."
The Human Rights Headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran calls on the UN Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, thematic special rapporteurs, and other relevant mechanisms to explicitly condemn this action, distance themselves from passive positions and double standards, and within the framework of their legal and moral responsibilities, place practical, effective, and tangible measures on their agenda to hold the aggressor state accountable, end the impunity of the perpetrators and commanders of this crime, compensate the victims, and prevent the recurrence of such attacks.
The Human Rights Headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes that intentional or reckless attacks on residential areas and the deprivation of the right to life of civilians entail the international responsibility of the aggressor state, and the international community must not allow fundamental principles of international law and human rights to fall victim to political considerations and discriminatory behavior. Silence in the face of these crimes not only weakens the international legal order but also serves as a green light for the continuation of gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
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