WANA (Sep 15) – At the initiative of the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Geneva, a special meeting was convened during the 60th session of the Human Rights Council under the title “Human Rights Dimensions of the 12-Day Aggression Against the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Israeli Regime and the United States.” The session, chaired by Iran’s permanent representative, brought together Iranian officials and families of victims of the recent imposed war.

 

Nasser Seraj, Secretary of the High Council for Human Rights and Deputy Chief for International Affairs of the Judiciary, stressed the systematic violations of human rights by Israel and the United States. He criticized the silence of international institutions and called for urgent action to halt the crimes. Referring to the killing of children and women—including a two-month-old infant—and the targeting of Evin Prison and Tehran’s Quds Square, he described these acts as clear examples of war crimes. Seraj urged Human Rights Council members, civil society, and UN special rapporteurs to hold Israel and the U.S. accountable.

 

Ali Bahreini, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, delivered a comprehensive report, calling for international condemnation of the aggression, strong global support, and immediate measures by human rights mechanisms.

 

Mohammad Sargazi, Member of Parliament representing Sistan (Zabol, Zahak, Nimruz, Hamun, and Hirmand) and Chair of the Legal and Judicial Commission, also spoke. He addressed the 12-day Israeli assault on Iran, highlighting the presence of victims’ families and underlining the illegality of the aggression and its blatant violation of international law.

Drawing from his own lived experience of the bombings, Sargazi argued that Israeli policies not only violate the fundamental right to life—particularly of women and children—but also endanger regional and global stability. He condemned the silence, inaction, and complicity of certain states as factors enabling the continuation of crimes, and demanded immediate international action to end the aggression and Israel’s impunity.

 

Independent expert George Katrougalos described the Israeli and U.S. attack on Iran as a blatant breach of international law and a serious threat to the global order, warning that such unilateral actions undermine the foundations of multilateralism.

 

UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem and Alfred de Zayas, professor of international law, also stressed that the recent aggressions expose the dangerous consequences of unilateralist policies and their incompatibility with the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law.

 

Speakers noted that the attacks resulted in the deaths of over 1,100 people—including 102 women, 45 children, and 14 scientific elites—and injured more than 5,600 civilians. They reported widespread destruction of 10,000 housing units, 210 commercial and industrial centers, and 17 energy infrastructures.

At the conclusion of the meeting, families of victims of the recent imposed war recounted their losses.

 

Ramin Hezarjaribi, father of Parsa Hezarjaribi, a 26-year-old killed in a missile strike on his home, demanded justice and prosecution of the perpetrators.

 

Ali Amini, who lost both his brother and nephew in the attacks, emphasized the need to protect innocent children and called for stronger engagement from human rights mechanisms.

 

The brother of nuclear scientist Seyed Mohammadreza Sedighi Saber—who lost 15 family members in a missile strike on their home—also demanded that the Israeli regime’s perpetrators be brought before international tribunals.