Iran’s human rights chief: Thousands of Iranian citizens lost their lives in terrorist operations

Pars Today — The Deputy Judiciary Chief for International Affairs and Secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights said thousands of Iranian citizens—including children, women, men and the elderly—have lost their lives in terrorist operations. The victims have included ordinary civilians as well as officials, scientists, military and law enforcement personnel, clerics, workers and students.

According to Pars Today, citing IRNA, Nasser Seraj, Secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, speaking on Saturday at a ceremony commemorating victims of terrorism, stressed:

“Terrorism does not end with the killing of one person. From the moment a person is targeted, terrorism enters the life of a family and can sometimes leave its effects for generations. A single bullet may take a person away from their family in a matter of seconds, but that family’s suffering can continue for years.”

Seraj stressed: “Iran is a country that has fallen victim to terrorism, and the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iranian people are among those who have paid a heavy price as a result of numerous terrorist attacks over the past decades.”

He added: “One issue that must not be forgotten is the international community’s treatment of the perpetrators and supporters of terrorism. If a terrorist attack occurs in a European country, it immediately becomes a global issue, but when the victim is Iranian, the response is sometimes very limited. If a political figure is assassinated somewhere in the world, it is described as a threat to international peace and security. But when the victim is an Iranian citizen or Minab schoolchildren, the same incident is sometimes met with silence, justification, or even political spin. This is the very double standard that must be addressed openly.”

The Secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights stressed: “If human rights are universal, their observance must also be universal. If human life has inherent value, that value must not depend on a person’s passport. An Iranian child, a Palestinian child, a European child, an African child and an Asian child are all children. An Iranian mother who loses her child experiences the same suffering as a mother anywhere else in the world.”

Seraj also spoke about state terrorism and the responsibility of governments, saying: “The fight against terrorism should not be directed solely at non-state groups. The international community must take a unified position against any organized use of violence against civilians, regardless of the identity of those responsible. If an armed group targets a citizen or citizens, the act must be condemned. Military power cannot serve as a license to violate human rights. Membership in a political coalition cannot confer immunity, and claims of fighting terrorism cannot justify targeting ordinary people.”

Emphasizing the need to counter double standards, he said: “We expect the international community to apply a single standard in the fight against terrorism. There should be no distinction between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ terrorism, or between Eastern and Western terrorism. State and non-state terrorism cannot be defined based on political interests.”