The Hana Human Rights Organization strongly condemns the ongoing missile and drone attacks carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran against the headquarters, camps, and locations of Iranian Kurdish political parties in the Kurdistan Region, and expresses deep concern regarding the legal and humanitarian implications of these attacks, particularly in light of the peremptory norms of international humanitarian law.
According to documented information collected by Hana, these attacks have not been limited to alleged military positions. In multiple instances, strikes have directly affected areas where civilians are present, including women, children, families of party members, and Iranian Kurdish political refugees. The existence of schools, medical facilities, social service centers, and residential areas in some of these camps clearly demonstrates the civilian nature of significant parts of these locations.
From the perspective of international law, any attack conducted without respecting the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution may constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law. Attacks against areas with a civilian population, or attacks whose effects can be foreseeably expected to harm civilians and civilian property, not only give rise to international responsibility for the state involved, but may also be considered grave violations of the fundamental rules protecting civilians.
Hana emphasizes that the Kurdistan Region, as part of the sovereign territory of Iraq, is protected by the principle of territorial sovereignty and the prohibition on the use of force in international relations. Any cross-border military operation conducted without a valid legal basis and without strict adherence to international legal obligations constitutes a clear violation of the international legal order. The repeated use of drone and missile strikes in areas where refugees and protected persons reside further intensifies concerns regarding the normalization of cross-border violence against political opponents.
Hana also warns that the continuation of these attacks places Iranian Kurdish political refugees and their families at heightened risk. Individuals who were already forced to flee Iran due to threats, repression, and political persecution are now facing the danger of death, injury, renewed displacement, and persistent insecurity even in their place of refuge. This situation directly engages international obligations concerning the protection of civilians and individuals in need of international protection.
The Hana Human Rights Organization calls upon the Iraq government, the authorities of the Kurdistan Region, relevant bodies of the United Nations, Special Rapporteurs, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and all responsible international mechanisms to respond immediately and effectively in accordance with international law, to apply the necessary pressure to stop these attacks, and to facilitate independent investigations, legal documentation, and accountability for those responsible for ordering and carrying out these attacks.
Hana Human Rights Organization
11 March 2026