Headlines
UN report says Israeli airstrike on iran prison is a war crime
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 16, 2026
3 min readLast updated: March 16, 2026
Quick Summary
A U.N. fact‑finding team concluded that Israel’s June 23, 2025 airstrike on Tehran’s Evin Prison likely constituted a war crime, citing deliberate targeting of a civilian facility and raising alarm over further repression amid ongoing U.S.–Israeli bombings.
UN Report: Israeli Airstrike on Tehran Evin Prison Deemed a War Crime
UN Investigation and International Reactions to Evin Prison Airstrike
By Emma Farge
Details of the Airstrike and Its Aftermath
GENEVA, March 16 (Reuters) - The head of a U.N. investigation said on Monday that an Israeli air strike on a prison last year was a war crime, and warned of risks of further repression following the current U.S.-Israeli bombings.
Casualties and Damage
More than 70 people were killed when Israel struck Tehran's Evin prison last June during an air war with Iran, Iranian authorities have said. The jail, known for holding political prisoners, has also been damaged in the latest U.S.-Israeli air strikes, raising fears for the detainees, who include a British couple.
UN Findings and Testimonies
"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...," Sara Hossain, chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, told the U.N. Human Rights Council. She said 80 people including one child and eight women had been killed.
Her latest report, based on interviews with victims and witnesses, satellite imagery and other documents, was presented to the Council on Monday.
International and Local Responses
Israeli Government's Position
Israel has disengaged from the council, which documents abuses and conducts investigations, and left its seat empty. There was no immediate response to requests for comment from the prime minister's office, the Foreign Ministry or the military.
Concerns Over Civilian Repression
Hossain condemned mounting civilian deaths in Iran and voiced concerns that the current bombing campaign could lead Iran to crack down even harder on dissent, pointing to an increase in executions after last year's strikes.
Implications for Accountability
"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 said.
Human Rights and Humanitarian Concerns
Conditions of Detainees
Mai Sato, a U.N.-appointed rights expert on Iran, also voiced concern about detainees, including those rounded up during mass protests in January. Families have not been able to contact relatives, and food and medicines are in increasingly short supply in prisons, she said.
Iranian Government's Response
Iran's ambassador, Ali Bahreini, called for condemnation of the U.S.-Israeli strikes, which he said had killed more than 1,300 people in Iran.
(Reporting by Emma Farge; Additional reporting by Steven Scheer in Jerusalem; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Key Takeaways
- •The attack killed dozens—including prisoners, staff, visitors and a child—and destroyed key facilities like the medical clinic, administration, and visitation areas, with no evident military necessity. (amnesty.org)
- •Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International both labeled the strike unlawful or deliberate, calling for criminal investigation and highlighting that prisons are protected civilian objects under international humanitarian law. (amnesty.org)
- •The U.N. warned that ongoing U.S.–Israeli bombing risks prompting harsher repression by Iranian authorities, with reports of increased executions, prison overcrowding, medical shortages, and detainees—including dual nationals—at serious risk. (ungeneva.org)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about UN report says Israeli airstrike on Iran prison is a war crime
1What did the UN report conclude about the Israeli airstrike on Evin prison?
The UN report concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe Israel committed the war crime of intentionally attacking a civilian object during the airstrike on Evin prison.
2How many people were killed in the Israeli airstrike on Evin prison?
More than 70 people, including one child and eight women, were killed in the airstrike on Evin prison, according to the report.
3What concerns did UN officials raise regarding the situation in Iranian prisons?
UN officials raised concerns about detainee safety, lack of contact with families, and shortages of food and medicines in Iranian prisons following the airstrikes.
4How has Israel responded to the UN Human Rights Council's investigation?
Israel has disengaged from the UN Human Rights Council, leaving its seat empty and not responding to requests for comment regarding the airstrike.
