On Tuesday, Amnesty International called That those responsible for a US attack on an Iranian school that killed over 100 children be held accountable.
The call for accountability followed the February strike at a school in Minab, Iran. Amnesty’s evidence laboratory conducted an investigation into the attack, analyzing over 30 satellite images and reviewing official statements, independent media reports and witness statements.
The group determined that the school was hit by precision-guided munitions and also revealed that the US may have relied on outdated intelligence in carrying out the attack. This would constitute a violation of international law, in particular the obligation to verify whether an intended target is a military target. While the school was originally located on a military site, satellite images from 2016 show that the building was physically separated by constructed walls and three entrance gates.
Erika Guervara-Rosas, senior director of research, advocacy, policy and campaigns at Amnesty, condemned military attacks on children and said:
This shocking attack on a school with classrooms full of children is a shocking example of the catastrophic and entirely predictable price paid by civilians during this armed conflict. Schools must be places of safety and learning for children. Instead, this school in Minab became the site of mass killings. The US authorities could and should have known that it was a school building. Targeting a protected civilian object, such as a school, is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.
The group called on U.S. authorities to open a public investigation, prosecute suspected perpetrators and provide reparations to victims. Both Amnesty and Human Rights Watch called that the attack be investigated as a war crime.
