Geneva, 17 March (H.S.):

A United Nations independent investigation team has concluded that Israel's 2025 airstrike on Iran's notorious Evin Prison could constitute a war crime, citing deliberate targeting of a civilian facility. The probe's lead investigator warned that ongoing U.S.-Israeli attacks may intensify domestic repression in Iran, exacerbating risks to detainees.

Sara Hussain, presenting her findings to the UN Human Rights Council, stated there are reasonable grounds to believe Israel intentionally struck Evin Prison in Tehran on June 23, 2025, violating international humanitarian law by attacking a civilian object. Iranian officials reported over 70 deaths from the assault, with the UN report confirming approximately 80 fatalities, including one child and eight women. These conclusions draw from victim and eyewitness interviews, satellite imagery, and forensic documents.

The facility, long infamous for detaining political prisoners and dissidents, sustained further damage during recent U.S.-Israeli strikes, heightening concerns for the safety of those held inside, including foreign nationals such as a British couple.

Hussain highlighted the broader pattern of civilian casualties from the conflict, noting that external military actions have failed to deliver accountability and instead risk fueling harsher internal crackdowns by Tehran authorities.

UN human rights expert Mai Sato echoed these fears, pointing to detainees arrested after January protests who remain incommunicado, amid reports of food and medicine shortages in Iranian prisons.

Iran's UN ambassador, Ali Bahreini, demanded condemnation of the U.S.-Israeli strikes, which he claimed have killed over 1,300 people in Iran to date.

Israel's Silence as UN Scrutiny Mounts

Israel has boycotted the UN Human Rights Council, leaving its seat vacant and offering no immediate response to the allegations from the prime minister's office, foreign ministry, or military.

Rights groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have similarly labeled the Evin strike an apparent war crime, emphasizing the lack of military justification and the endangerment of over 1,500 prisoners present during visiting hours.

UN officials stress that persistent military operations in the region continue to imperil civilian lives and human rights protections.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar