UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. UN Human Rights Chief Condemns Explosions in Lebanon, Syria Peace and Security
The impact on civilians of the simultaneous explosions in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday is unacceptable, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said. The incident left at least 12 people dead, including two children, and thousands injured.
“At these extremely volatile times, I call on all States with influence in the region and beyond to take immediate action to prevent the further escalation of ongoing conflicts,” the High Commissioner said in a statement.
“The protection of civilians must be a top priority. “De-escalation is more important today than ever,” Türk stressed.
According to him, such coordinated attacks on thousands of people, whether civilians or members of armed groups, without precise information about who has the devices, their location and surroundings at the time of the explosion, are a violation of international human rights law and, to the extent applicable, international humanitarian law.
According to media reports, at least 12 people were killed and more than 3,000 were injured as a result of the explosions of pagers used by members of the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon on September 17. Hezbollah blamed Israel for the attack.
The UN’s top human rights official called for an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances of the mass explosions and for those who ordered and carried out the attack to be held accountable.