© UNIFIL/Pasqual Gorriz Concrete T-walls erected by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) near Yaroun, south Lebanon.
Facebook Twitter Print Email
As US, Israeli and Iranian strikes continued for a fifth day, a top Human Rights Council probe warned on Wednesday that Iranian prisoners including detained protesters face expedited death penalty proceedings.
The Independent International Fact Finding Mission (FFM) on Iran, which was created by the Council in 2022, said it was deeply concerned about the protection of detainees, in addition to the escalating violence that continues to impact Lebanon and multiple Gulf States.
The panel of independent rights experts cited credible reports “that many [prisoners in Iran] are at serious risk of torture, ill-treatment and enforced disappearances”.
“Several others face execution, in violation of international due process and fair trial rights and the right to life”, the fact-finding mission continued, as it warned against a repeat of military attacks on Iranian detention facilities, such as the Israeli strike on Evin Prison last June.
Independent experts who report to the Human Rights Council are not UN staff and they are not paid for their work.
In related developments, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that seven children have been killed and 38 injured in 24 hours amid escalating hostilities across Lebanon.
The toll comes as renewed Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah hit multiple areas across the country, triggering massive displacement and deepening an already fragile humanitarian situation.
Latest reports indicate that the Israeli evacuation orders have been issued to communities in southern Lebanon affecting five per cent of the population – some 250,000 people living south of Litani river.
In the last 24 hours, nearly 60,000 people – including 18,000 children – have been newly displaced, adding to the tens of thousands already uprooted from their homes. More than 12,000 families have found refuge in at least 300 shelters opened nationwide, with dozens already at full capacity.
“No child should ever be killed or be left to bear the lifelong physical and emotional scars of violence,” said Marcoluigi Corsi, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon.
UNICEF’s response plan require $48 million to reach one million people in need, yet only 16 per cent of funding has been received to date.
For the latest developments, follow today's live page here.