UN calls for investigation into deadly strike on school in Iran
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Graves being prepared for victims of an air strike on a school in Minab, Iran.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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GENEVA – The United Nations’ human rights office on March 3 urged what it called the forces behind a deadly attack on a girls’ school in Iran to investigate and share insights into the incident, without saying who it believes was responsible.
“The High Commissioner (Volker Turk) calls for a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the attack. The onus is on the forces that carried out the attack to investigate it,” UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said at a news briefing.
“This is absolutely horrific,” Ms Shamdasani said, adding that images circulating on social media captured “the essence of the destruction, despair and senselessness and cruelty of this conflict”.
Mr 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 Feb 28, the first day of US and Israeli attacks against Iran
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 2 that US forces “would not deliberately target a school”.
Israel has said it is investigating the incident.
Iran’s Ambassador to the UN Ali Bahreini previously raised the issue with Mr Turk in a letter dated March 1, calling the attack “unjustifiable” and “criminal”.
He said the attack killed 150 students.
Mr Turk’s office does not have enough information to make a determination as to whether the strike constitutes a war crime, Ms Shamdasani said. REUTERS
