OHCHR / MIDDLE EAST WAR RHETORIC REAX

Human Rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has deplored the “tirade of incendiary rhetoric” being used in the Middle East war, “including the latest threats to annihilate a whole civilisation and to target civilian infrastructure.” OHCHR

Description

STORY: OHCHR / MIDDLE EAST WAR RHETORIC REAX
TRT: 01:28
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 07 APRIL 2026, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE

Shotlist

FILE - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Various shots, exterior, Palais Wilson

07 APRIL 2026, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk deplores the tirade of incendiary rhetoric being used in the Middle East war over the last couple of weeks by all parties, including the latest threats to annihilate a whole civilisation and to target civilian infrastructure. This is sickening. Carrying through on such threats amounts to the most serious international crimes. Threats that spread fear and terror among civilians are unacceptable and must cease immediately. Under international law, deliberately attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure is a war crime. Anyone responsible for international crimes must be held to account by a competent court. We call on the international community to take urgent steps to de-escalate the situation and to help protect the lives of all civilians.”

FILE - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

3. Various shots, exterior, Palais Wilson

Storyline

Human Rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence today (7 Apr) said High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has deplored the “tirade of incendiary rhetoric” being used in the Middle East war, “including the latest threats to annihilate a whole civilisation and to target civilian infrastructure.”

Laurence said those threats are “sickening.”

He said, “carrying through on such threats amounts to the most serious international crimes” and stressed that “threats that spread fear and terror among civilians are unacceptable and must cease immediately.”

Under international law, Laurence noted, “deliberately attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure is a war crime,” and said, “anyone responsible for international crimes must be held to account by a competent court.”

He called on the international community “to take urgent steps to de-escalate the situation and to help protect the lives of all civilians.”

• Production Date: 7 April 2026
• Creator: OHCHR
• Alternate Title: unifeed260407b
• Subject Topical: HUMAN RIGHTS; WAR CRIMES; CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY; PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE; AERIAL BOMBINGS; WATER SUPPLY; ENERGY
• Subject Name: VOLKER TÜRK
• Geographic Subject: MIDDLE EAST; IRAN; UNITED STATES; ISRAEL
• Corporate Name: OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - OHCHR
• MAMS Id: 3552827
• Parent Id: 3552827