GENEVA, Switzerland — Independent investigators reporting to the United Nations Human Rights Council have warned that prisoners in Iran — including detained protesters — face a heightened risk of torture and expedited executions as military strikes involving Israel, Iran, and other actors continue for a fifth consecutive day.
The warning came on Wednesday from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, a panel established by the Council in 2022 to investigate alleged human rights violations following widespread protests in the country.
The experts said they were deeply concerned about the safety of detainees, citing credible reports that many prisoners face abuse while in custody.
“Many are at serious risk of torture, ill-treatment and enforced disappearances,” the mission said in a statement.
The panel also warned that several detainees could face execution through expedited judicial processes that violate international legal standards.
“Several others face execution, in violation of international due process and fair trial rights and the right to life,” the investigators said.
Concern Over Attacks on Detention Facilities
The experts cautioned against any military attacks targeting prisons or detention centres, referencing a strike last year on Evin Prison — one of Iran’s most notorious detention facilities.
The prison, located in Tehran, has long been associated with the detention of political prisoners, journalists, and activists.
Rights investigators warned that further attacks on such facilities could endanger thousands of detainees.
The fact-finding mission stressed that its members operate independently and are not staff of the United Nations, although they report to the Human Rights Council.
Escalating Crisis in Lebanon
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon is rapidly deteriorating amid renewed hostilities involving Israeli forces and the militant group Hezbollah.
According to UNICEF, seven children were killed and 38 others injured within the last 24 hours as airstrikes and fighting intensified across parts of the country.
The escalation has triggered widespread displacement, particularly in southern Lebanon.
Israeli evacuation orders issued to communities south of the Litani River now affect about 250,000 people — roughly 5pc of Lebanon’s population, according to humanitarian agencies.
Mass Displacement
Aid agencies report that nearly 60,000 people — including around 18,000 children — have been newly displaced in the past day alone.
Many families are seeking refuge in emergency shelters opened across the country.
More than 12,000 families have moved into at least 300 shelters nationwide, though dozens of these facilities have already reached 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’s representative in Lebanon.
Funding Gap Hampers Aid Response
Humanitarian agencies warn that the crisis could worsen without urgent international funding.
UNICEF said it requires $48 million to support relief operations targeting one million vulnerable people, including displaced families and children affected by the violence.
So far, however, only 16pc of the required funding has been secured, raising concerns about the ability of aid agencies to sustain emergency assistance if the conflict continues.
