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Iran slams unilateral sanctions as ‘crimes against humanity’
Detrimental effects of sanctions target lives, health of ordinary citizens: Envoy
Abbas Bagherpour, head of the Iranian delegation and Director General of International Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the remark in The Hague on Tuesday, urging the international community to address their adverse impact on human lives, particularly on patients and vulnerable groups.
Bagherpour said the detrimental effects of unilateral coercive measures, directly targeting the lives and health of ordinary citizens, fall within the jurisdiction of international criminal law, according to Press TV.
The envoy also underlined Iran’s commitment to confronting impunity and prosecuting serious crimes by mentioning the approval of a bill on international crimes and its submission to the Iranian Parliament.
The legislation aims to establish a specialized framework for prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and military aggression, demonstrating Iran’s willingness to cooperate internationally.
Bagherpour expressed concern about the impact of unilateralism and the normalization of genocide and war crimes on the pursuit of justice, saying that it placed the ICC under a serious test for future generations.
He also condemned the situation in Palestine, describing the ongoing Israeli actions there as an “open policy of genocide” that had deeply affected the conscience of humanity.
Referring to Israeli-US military aggression against Iran in June, the envoy said that the attacks deliberately targeted civilians, including women and children, as well as scientists, journalists, and civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and energy facilities, among them nuclear sites.
Bagherpour reiterated the need to pursue individual criminal responsibility for those who ordered, planned, or executed the attacks.