'Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied': UN Experts Demand Answers on Minab, Five Months On

Independent experts say neither Washington nor Israel has published any findings on the school strike that killed 168 children and teachers, and warn of a wider failure to protect civilians

UN independent experts have called for an independent investigation into the bombing of a primary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab that killed 168 children and teachers, saying the attack points to serious violations of international law during the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran.

In a statement released Friday, the experts said the Shajareh Tayyebeh School was struck twice during school hours on 28 February 2026, and that there was no indication it was being used for military purposes. “The school was clearly identifiable as a civilian educational facility and that they had received no information indicating it was being used for military purposes,” the statement read.

‘Justice delayed is justice denied’

Five months on, the experts said, neither the United States nor Israel has made public the findings of any investigation into the attack, raising serious doubts about the impartiality, effectiveness, and transparency of any inquiry that may be underway. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” they said.

The Minab strike, they added, illustrates a broader failure by the United States and Israel to protect civilians in armed conflict, particularly women and children.

“Characterising civilian deaths as a mistake does not diminish States’ obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, nor does it preclude individual criminal responsibility where violations have occurred,” the statement said. “Victims and their families are entitled to truth, justice and effective reparations.”

A wider toll

The experts voiced grave concern over serious violations of international law arising from the US-Israeli campaign against Iran since 28 February 2026, and called for prompt, independent, impartial, and transparent investigations into civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, including attacks on schools, hospitals, and other protected sites.

“International law prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State,” they said. “The prohibition of the threat or use of force is a cornerstone of the international legal order.”

According to the experts, the war waged against Iran between 28 February and early April killed at least 3,375 civilians, including nearly 500 women, and wounded more than 33,000 others. They also said they had received credible reports that Iranian civilians may have been exposed to internationally banned hazardous substances, with potentially serious health consequences, particularly for women, girls, and pregnant women.

The experts expressed concern over the latest round of US attacks on Iran despite a memorandum of understanding intended to end the war, and urged Washington to observe the principles of distinction and precaution under international humanitarian law, to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure on land and at sea, and to refrain from striking population centres, desalination plants, and electricity networks.

Renewed strikes on the ground

The statement comes as the US military, after weeks of sporadic incidents, launched a fresh wave of large-scale attacks on Iranian territory two weeks ago, striking military and civilian sites mainly in the southern provinces. Those attacks have destroyed several infrastructure sites, including bridges and desalination plants, and killed more than 50 Iranians. Senior Iranian officials have warned that the continuing US attacks threaten regional stability, freedom of navigation, and the security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Reference: PressTv