A United Nations investigation has determined that Israel’s bombing of an Iranian prison facility last year constitutes a war crime, according to findings presented Monday in Geneva.
The strike on Tehran’s Evin prison in June killed more than 70 individuals during aerial warfare between Israel and Iran, according to Iranian officials. The facility, notorious for housing political dissidents, has sustained additional damage from recent U.S.-Israeli military operations, creating serious concerns for inmates including a British couple.
Sara Hossain, who leads the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, addressed the U.N. Human Rights Council with her findings. “We found reasonable grounds to believe that, in carrying out the airstrikes on Evin prison, Israel committed the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against a civilian object…,” Hossain stated. She reported that 80 individuals perished, including one minor and eight women.
The investigation’s conclusions, delivered to the Council on Monday, drew from victim and witness interviews, satellite analysis, and additional documentation.
Israeli representatives were absent from the council proceedings, having withdrawn from participation in the body that monitors violations and launches investigations. Israeli government offices, including the prime minister’s office, Foreign Ministry, and military, did not respond to requests for statements.
Hossain expressed alarm over rising civilian casualties in Iran and warned that current bombing operations might prompt Iranian authorities to intensify their suppression of opposition voices, noting increased executions following last year’s attacks.
“The core lesson drawn from our investigations in this context is clear: external military action does not provide accountability or bring meaningful change. Instead, it risks intensifying domestic repression …,” she explained.
Mai Sato, another U.N.-designated rights specialist focusing on Iran, raised additional concerns about prisoners, including those detained during widespread January demonstrations. She reported that families cannot reach imprisoned relatives, while food and medical supplies become increasingly scarce in detention facilities.
Iran’s diplomatic representative, Ali Bahreini, demanded international condemnation of the U.S.-Israeli attacks, claiming they have resulted in more than 1,300 Iranian deaths.
