Malala Fund calls for an independent investigation into the strike on a primary school in Minab, Iran.
Strong evidence indicates that the strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in Minab, Iran, was carried out by the US. More than 168 people, mostly girls aged seven to twelve years old, lost their lives that day.
Malala Fund joins the calls for a full, independent and transparent investigation to establish the facts and ensure accountability.
Schools must never be targets. At a time when millions of girls are already denied their right to education, classrooms must be places of safety, not sites of violence. “Schools are not battlefields. The rules of war exist to protect civilians and preserve a measure of humanity in conflict. The rights and dignity of every child must be defended everywhere. When those rules are violated, it is children who suffer the consequences.”, said Lena Alfi, CEO of Malala Fund.
As our co-founder Malala Yousafzai told the United Nations, international law cannot be applied to some children and not others depending on where they are born or what is politically convenient. Civilians and schools must be protected everywhere.
“My heart is with the families who are mourning their daughters. Whether in Gaza or now in Iran, the pattern is painfully familiar. Childhoods are shattered, families are left with unbearable grief, and communities are forced to bury the children they love. They deserve accountability and justice.”, said Malala.