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In brief
- The school in southern Iran was hit on Saturday, the first day of US and Israeli attacks against the country.
- The United Nations Human Rights Office has urged the forces behind the attack to investigate and share insights into the incident.
The United Nations Human Rights Office has made a pressing appeal to the parties responsible for a lethal assault on a girls’ school in Iran, calling for a thorough investigation and transparency regarding the incident. However, the UN has refrained from assigning blame to anyone specific at this time.
Volker Turk, the High Commissioner, emphasized the necessity for a swift, unbiased, and comprehensive inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the tragic event. The responsibility, he stated, lies with those who orchestrated the attack to conduct this investigation and provide clarity on the matter.
During a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, UN human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani highlighted the severity of the attack. “This is absolutely horrific,” she remarked, noting that images shared on social media poignantly depict “the essence of the destruction, despair, and senselessness and cruelty of this conflict.”
Furthermore, Turk has called on all involved parties to exercise caution and return to negotiations to prevent further escalation and find a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict, according to Shamdasani.
Turk also urged all parties to exercise restraint and to return to the negotiating table, she said.
The school in southern Iran was hit on Saturday, the first day of US and Israeli attacks against the country.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that US forces “would not deliberately target a school”.
Israel has said it is investigating the incident.
Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva Ali Bahreini had previously raised the issue with Turk in a letter dated 1 March, calling the attack “unjustifiable” and “criminal”.
He said the attack had killed 150 students.
Turk’s office does not have enough information to make a determination as to whether the strike constituted a war crime, Shamdasani said.
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