Killing of civilians epitomizes ‘American human rights’: Iran’s top rights body

Iran’s High Council for Human Rights says renewed US attacks on various areas, particularly a military strike on a residential building on the southern Qeshm Island, epitomize “American human rights.”

In a statement on Sunday, the rights body denounced the US attack on a residential home in the Chah Tangu neighborhood of Qeshm City, which killed three members of a family and injured two children.

It said the attack constituted a clear violation of the fundamental right to life, recognized under Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which require states to prevent the arbitrary deprivation of life.

“The killing of family members inside their own home is a clear violation of this fundamental right and a disregard for the inherent dignity of human beings,” the statement read.

According to the body, deliberate or indiscriminate attacks on residential areas and civilian sites amount to a “clear and flagrant” violation of international law, particularly international humanitarian law.

Based on the principle of distinction reflected in Article 48 of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, it noted, parties to a conflict are always obligated to distinguish between military targets and civilians, directing their attacks solely at military targets.

It added that attacks against civilians and civilian property are prohibited under international humanitarian law and that any indiscriminate or disproportionate attack resulting in civilian casualties constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

It further warned that the “silence, inaction and double standards” of many United Nations human rights mechanisms in the face of such crimes have seriously 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 expansion of impunity and the repetition of crimes against defenseless people,” the statement emphasized.

Iran’s top rights body called on the UN Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, special rapporteurs and other relevant mechanisms to explicitly condemn the attacks, take practical and tangible measures to hold the aggressor state accountable, end impunity for perpetrators, ensure compensation for victims, and prevent the recurrence of such attacks.

It reiterated that deliberate or reckless attacks on residential areas and the deprivation of civilians’ right to life entail international responsibility for the attacking state.

The international community must not allow fundamental principles of international law and human rights to become victims of political considerations and discriminatory treatment, it said.

“Silence in the face of these crimes will not only undermine the international legal order but will also serve as a green light for the continuation of flagrant violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,” the statement warned.

US attack on residential home in Iran’s Qeshm kills toddler, parents

A US airstrike on a residential building on Iran’s southern Qeshm Island kills three members of a family, including a two-year-old child.

The United States has perpetrated numerous violations against Iranian territory since April 7, when US President Donald Trump announced a unilateral ceasefire in the latest bout of unprovoked American-Israeli aggression targeting the Islamic Republic.

The violations continued even after Washington and Tehran signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding in June, whose first clause clearly mandated cessation of aggression on all fronts.

On Wednesday night, three members of a family, including the mother, father, and their two-year-old boy, were killed in a US airstrike on their home in Chah Tangu. Two other children from the family were rescued from the rubble shortly after the strike and were transferred to a hospital for treatment.

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