Iran update - OHCHR
/
3:01
/
MP4
/
222.2 MB
Download

Edited News | OHCHR

Iran update - OHCHR

Iran-Israel war: UN rights office concerned over strike on Tehran prison, reported espionage arrests

Tehran’s notorious Evin prison known for holding dissidents should not be a target, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said on Tuesday, a day after a reported Israeli strike on the complex.

OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told media in Geneva that the prison is not a military objective according to the laws of war.

“Targeting it constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law”, he said.

OHCHR does not have specific details about what happened, Mr. Al-Kheetan said, but there have reportedly been fires inside the prison and a number of injuries.

Political prisoners including journalists are held at Evin prison, but whether they are detained “arbitrarily” or in connection with “crimes they've actually committed”, the inmates must be protected, Mr Al-Kheetan insisted.

According to media reports on Tuesday, Iran said that it transferred all the inmates out of the prison after it was hit by an Israeli strike, moving them to other prisons around the capital in order to repair damage.

A fragile ceasefire proposed by the United States seemed to take hold briefly on Tuesday morning, before reports of further Iranian missile strikes on Israel, disputed by Tehran.

The conflict began with Israeli air attacks on 13 June and escalated over the weekend with U.S. forces striking Iranian nuclear facilities. Hundreds of civilians have reportedly been killed in the Israeli airstrikes, while Iran’s retaliatory strikes killed close to 30 people in Israel.

Asked about signs of a crackdown on dissent by the Iranian authorities in the context of the Israeli and U.S military campaign against the country, the OHCHR spokesperson stressed that it was “difficult to verify information” coming from Iran, given the lack of access.

He confirmed seeing reports about Iranians being “arrested for cyber activities and publishing content related to the Israeli attacks on Iran, according to NGOs”.

Mr. Al-Kheetan also spoke of reports that nine men were executed in Iran since Israel attacked the country on 13 June. He called on the Iranian authorities to “completely respect the rights to freedom of expression and information, at all times”, insisting that journalists “must be able to do their work without any obstacles”.

Iranian citizens reportedly arrested and accused of espionage or collaboration with Israel “must have their full rights in terms of legal procedures and a fair trial”, he said.

“If these arrests are arbitrary, those persons must be freed immediately and unconditionally,” he concluded.

On Monday, independent human rights experts reiterated their concerns about Iran’s “use of broadly defined national security offences, some of which are punishable by death”, in the context of recent reported executions on espionage charges. Last week, the UN deputy human rights chief, Nada Al-Nashif, told the Human Rights Council that at least 975 people were executed in Iran last year - the highest number of reported executions since 2015. She also briefed the Council on the use of torture in Iranian prisons and the ongoing targeting of minorities, journalists and human rights defenders.

-ends-

STORY: Iran update – OHCHR 24 June 2025

TRT: 3:01”

SOURCE: UNTV CH

RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ FRENCH/ NATS

ASPECT RATIO: 16:9

DATELINE: 24 JUNE 2025 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Exterior wide shot: Palais des Nations, Flag Alley.

2. Wide shot: Speakers at the podium of the press conference from rear; journalists in the Press room; speaker on screens.

3. SOUNDBITE (English) – Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR): “Evin prison is not a military objective and targeting it constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law. We do not have specific reports on what happened. We know that there have been some fires inside the prison and a number of injuries.”

4. Wide shot: Journalists in the Press room; speaker on screens.

5. SOUNDBITE (English) – Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR): “There are a number of political prisoners, journalists inside this prison. Whether they are imprisoned, whether all the inmates are imprisoned arbitrarily, for unlawful reasons or that they are spending a sentence for crimes they've actually committed, they must be protected. And the Evin prison should not have been targeted.”

6. Wide shot: Journalists in the Press room; speaker on screens.

7. SOUNDBITE (English) – Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR): “It's very difficult to verify information coming from Iran because of the whole situation, as you know, and the lack of access. Now, we have seen these reports about Iranians being reportedly arrested for cyber activities and publishing content related to the Israeli attacks on Iran, according to NGOs.”

8. Close shot: Journalist in the Press room.

9. SOUNDBITE (English) – Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR): “We have also seen reports of people being, nine men being executed in Iran since 13 June. So, what we can say about that is that Iranian authorities must completely respect the rights to freedom of expression and information, at all times. And journalists must be able to do their work without any obstacles.”

10. Medium shot: Journalists in the Press room.

11. SOUNDBITE (French) – Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR): “Nous avons des ONG qui disent qu’il y a des citoyens iraniens qui ont été arrêtés et accusés d’espionnage ou de collaboration avec Israël ou de cyber-activités diverses. Ces personnes-là doivent avoir tous leurs droits en termes de procédure légale.”

12. Close shot: Journalist in the Press room.

13. SOUNDBITE (French) – Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR): “Si ces arrestations sont arbitraires, ces personnes doivent être libérées immédiatement et sans conditions.”

14. Various shots of journalists in the Press room.


Audio Files 1
Download Iran update - OHCHR (Edited Story)
Download

Similar Stories

Gaza healthcare attacks – WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Gaza healthcare attacks – WHO ENG FRA

The ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza City continues to overwhelm the war-torn enclave’s medical professionals, with four more hospitals forced to shut down this month alone, the UN World Health Organization said on Friday.

UN Report: Civilian detainees subjected to troubling patterns of torture and ill treatment since Russia’s full scale attack on Ukraine

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Report: Civilian detainees subjected to troubling patterns of torture and ill treatment since Russia’s full scale attack on Ukraine ENG FRA

A UN Human Rights report released today details the dire situation of thousands of civilians detained since Russia’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine in 2022. 

Sudan cholera update WHO - UNICEF

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO , UNICEF

Sudan cholera update WHO - UNICEF ENG FRA

Sudan war: Life-saving cholera vaccination campaign begins in Darfur

Amid the devastating war in Sudan, UN aid teams are overcoming major obstacles to curb a cholera outbreak claiming lives across the country, with young children particularly at risk.

Afghanistan earthquake response – UN Women 19 September 2025

2

1

2

Edited News , B-roll | UN WOMEN

Afghanistan earthquake response – UN Women 19 September 2025 ENG FRA

Women and girls still reeling from Afghanistan's recent deadly earthquake face even greater suffering rebuilding their lives and livelihoods without much more help from the international community, UN Women said on Friday.

UN report: Sudan crisis deepens amid rising civilian casualties - UN Human rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and OHCHR Sudan Representative Li Fung

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN report: Sudan crisis deepens amid rising civilian casualties - UN Human rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and OHCHR Sudan Representative Li Fung ENG FRA

Rising civilian casualties, growing ethnic violence and the grim humanitarian situation in Sudan underscore how the crisis there is deepening, according to a UN Human rights report published today.

'Not a Target' UN Geneva Protest - 18 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNITED NATIONS

'Not a Target' UN Geneva Protest - 18 September 2025 ENG FRA

United Nations agencies staff demonstrates on Place des Nations in Geneva to denounce the killing of their colleagues in Gaza.

WMO - World Water Monitor 18 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WMO

WMO - World Water Monitor 18 September 2025 ENG FRA

The world’s water resources face growing pressure from climate change while emergencies related to the vital resource are increasingly impacting lives and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk Remarks to HRC 60 Urgent debate

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk Remarks to HRC 60 Urgent debate ENG FRA

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk addressed the Human Rights Council during a meeting on the Israeli strike on negotiators in Qatar on Tuesday. “Israel’s strike on negotiators in Doha on 9 September was a shocking breach of international law, an assault on regional peace and stability, and a blow against the integrity of mediation and negotiating processes around the world,” he said.

Gaza Al-Mawasi update - UNICEF

1

1

1

Edited News | UNICEF

Gaza Al-Mawasi update - UNICEF ENG FRA

Gaza: Thirsty and starving, war-battered families face ‘inhumane’ evacuation 

As bombs continue to fall on Gaza City as part of the intensifying Israeli military operation, families with starving children are being pushed southwards from one “hellscape” to another, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell on DPRK

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell on DPRK ENG FRA

New UN Human Rights report finds 10 years of increased suffering repression and fear

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday published a report on the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) since 2014. 

Afghanistan update - UNICEF UNHCR 12 September 2025

1

1

2

Edited News | UNICEF , UNHCR

Afghanistan update - UNICEF UNHCR 12 September 2025 ENG FRA

The ongoing humanitarian response to the devastating Afghanistan earthquake disaster continued on Friday, although essential services have been cut for operational reasons following reinforced Taliban restrictions on women working with the UN, the global body said.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on DRC at the 60th Human Rights Council

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on DRC at the 60th Human Rights Council ENG FRA

Un nouveau rapport du Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme sur la République démocratique du Congo évoque le spectre de crimes de guerre et de crimes contre l'humanité dans le Nord et le Sud-Kivu.,