Classifications

Probable Violation

Multiple independent, credible sources corroborate facts that, taken together, satisfy the material elements of a recognized international crime. At least two of the following must be present: eyewitness testimony, documentary evidence (government records, satellite imagery, communications intercepts), credible investigative journalism with named sources, or findings from a reputable human rights organization. The conduct maps to specific articles of the Rome Statute, Geneva Conventions, or customary international humanitarian law.

Related incidents

31 incidents

Trump Issues Ultimatum: 'A Whole Civilization Will Die Tonight' Unless Iran Capitulates

Trump's explicit threats to destroy all civilian infrastructure in Iran — every bridge, every power plant — with the stated goal of ensuring Iran 'could literally never rebuild as a nation again' …

  • Trump stated 'Every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o'clock tomorrow night, every power plant will be out of business, burning, …
  • Trump warned 'a whole civilization will die tonight' unless Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday 8 PM ET deadline.

U.S. Double-Tap Strike Destroys Iran's B1 Bridge, Killing Civilians on Nowruz Holiday

US forces destroyed Iran's landmark B1 bridge near Karaj in a double-tap strike during Nowruz holiday celebrations, killing 8 civilians and wounding 95. The bridge — 176 meters tall and 1,050 meters …

  • On April 2, 2026, US forces destroyed the B1 bridge near Karaj, west of Tehran — Iran's most complex engineering project, standing 176 …
  • The strike used a double-tap tactic: bombing the same location twice, killing first responders and bystanders who rushed to help after the …

U.S. Strikes on Iran's Kharg Island Oil Export Hub

U.S. military strikes on Kharg Island — Iran's primary oil export facility handling 90% of crude exports — constitute attacks on critical civilian economic infrastructure. Combined with explicit …

  • The U.S. carried out strikes on Iran's Kharg Island, a small coral island in the northern Persian Gulf responsible for handling …
  • While the U.S. claims it targeted 'military targets' on the island, the strikes risk catastrophic damage to civilian economic infrastructure …

Trump Threats to Obliterate Iran's Civilian Power Infrastructure

Trump's explicit threat to destroy Iran's civilian power infrastructure constitutes a per se violation of international humanitarian law. The threats escalated from 'obliterate' to a promise of …

  • Trump explicitly threatened to 'obliterate' Iran's power plants, which Amnesty International assessed as a 'threat to commit war crimes' -- …
  • As of March 21, 2026, the Iran war has killed at least 5,900 people including 595 documented civilians, according to the Hengaw …

Repeated Strikes Near Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant Risk Radioactive Catastrophe

Repeated strikes near Bushehr nuclear power plant violate Additional Protocol I Article 56's specific protection of nuclear electrical generating stations. Even without a radiation release, strikes on …

  • Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant has been struck by projectiles at least four times since the war began on February 28, 2026.
  • One security guard was killed and a side building was damaged in the April 4 strike.

Attacks on Iranian Healthcare Facilities: WHO Verifies 18 Strikes on Hospitals and Medical Infrastructure

A sustained pattern of strikes on Iranian hospitals, ambulances, and medical infrastructure has killed healthcare workers and forced the evacuation of six hospitals. The WHO has verified 18 attacks on …

  • WHO has verified 18 attacks on healthcare facilities in Iran since the war began on February 28, 2026, with at least 8 medical workers …
  • Six hospitals have been evacuated, 29 clinical facilities damaged, and 10 rendered inactive. Patients required evacuation from seven …

ICE Agent Kills Renee Good, American Mother of Three, in Minneapolis

An ICE agent shot and killed an American woman during an immigration raid in Minneapolis. Video evidence contradicted the government's claim of self-defense. The administration used the killing to …

  • Renee Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old US citizen and mother of three, was shot three times and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on …
  • Video footage from the ICE agent's own phone shows Good sitting in her car, looking out the window, smiling and saying 'That's OK dude, I'm …

Afghanistan Frozen Assets and Aid Termination: 22.9 Million Face Humanitarian Catastrophe

The combined effect of freezing Afghanistan's sovereign assets and terminating all US humanitarian aid has created a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in which millions face starvation. UN officials …

  • The United States and European nations froze nearly $9.5 billion in Afghan central bank assets after the Taliban takeover in August 2021, …
  • In 2025, the Trump administration terminated all remaining US humanitarian aid to Afghanistan — $561.8 million — ordering an immediate …

US Strikes on Ras Issa Fuel Port Kill 84+ Civilians in Yemen

US airstrikes on Yemen's most critical civilian port infrastructure killed 84+ civilians including three children, port workers, truck drivers, and civil defense personnel. HRW found the strikes were …

  • 14 US airstrikes hit the Ras Issa oil terminal on April 17, 2025, killing at least 84 civilians and injuring over 150, including port …
  • Ras Issa is one of three ports in Hodeidah through which approximately 70% of Yemen's commercial imports and 80% of humanitarian assistance …

Pattern of Wrongful Deportations: US Citizens and Protected Individuals Removed Despite Court Orders

Multiple US citizens and legally protected individuals have been wrongfully deported, often in direct defiance of federal court orders. The pattern includes deportation of a man with explicit judicial …

  • In less than six months, courts directed the Trump administration to bring back at least four people it had wrongfully deported, …
  • Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador despite a 2019 immigration judge order granting him protected status that specifically …

Operation Rough Rider: US Killed More Civilians in 52 Days Than in Previous 23 Years in Yemen

A 53-day US bombing campaign in Yemen produced an unprecedented civilian death toll, with monitoring organizations documenting at least 224 civilian deaths — matching the previous 23 years of US …

  • Operation Rough Rider ran from March 15 to May 6, 2025 — 53 days of sustained bombing against Houthi-controlled Yemen, with 339+ strikes …
  • Airwars documented 33 civilian harm incidents and at least 224 civilian deaths. The Yemen Data Project documented at least 238 civilian …

Defense Secretary Hegseth Declares 'No Quarter, No Mercy' for Iran

The US Defense Secretary's public declaration that no quarter would be given to Iran constitutes a textbook war crime under Rome Statute Article 8(2)(b)(xii), which criminalizes 'declaring that no …

  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly declared there would be 'no quarter, no mercy' for Iran during the 2026 Iran war.
  • Declaring that no quarter will be given is explicitly listed as a war crime under Rome Statute Article 8(2)(b)(xii). It is a per se …

Destruction of Iranian UNESCO World Heritage Sites in US-Israeli Airstrikes

US and Israeli strikes have damaged UNESCO World Heritage Sites and over 100 cultural heritage sites across Iran, including Golestan Palace, Isfahan's Naqsh-e Jahan Square complex, the 8th-century …

  • UNESCO documented at least four historic sites damaged by shockwaves from a March 10 strike alone. Iran's Ministry of Cultural Heritage …
  • Golestan Palace in Tehran, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, suffered shattered glass from mirrored ceilings, broken archways, blown-out …

2026 Lebanon War — US Weapons Complicity in Mass Civilian Casualties and White Phosphorus Attacks

Israel's 2026 Lebanon offensive — conducted with US-supplied weapons including white phosphorus munitions used over civilian areas — has killed over 1,000 people, wounded nearly 3,000, and displaced …

  • Since the renewed Israeli offensive beginning March 2, 2026, over 1,072 people have been killed in Lebanon including at least 121 children, …
  • Nearly 700,000 people — 20% of Lebanon's population — have been displaced, including 200,000 children. An additional 85,000-90,000 have fled …

Iran War: Crime of Aggression — War Launched Without Congressional Authorization

The United States launched a major war against Iran without congressional authorization, without a UN Security Council mandate, and while diplomatic channels remained open. Legal experts, the Brennan …

  • On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel launched nearly 900 airstrikes in 12 hours against Iran under 'Operation Epic Fury,' killing Supreme …
  • Approximately 170 civilians were killed when a missile struck a girls' school adjacent to a naval base in Minab, near Bandar Abbas.

Minab School Strike: US Tomahawk Cruise Missile Kills 175-180 Schoolgirls

A Tomahawk cruise missile struck a girls' elementary school in Minab, Iran, killing up to 180 schoolchildren in one of the deadliest single incidents of civilian harm in the 2026 Iran war. …

  • A US Tomahawk cruise missile struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school in Minab, Hormozgan province, Iran, on February 28, 2026, …
  • The school was 'triple-tapped' — struck three distinct times. Analysis showed missiles hit a nearby military base and the school but …

Operation Absolute Resolve: Unilateral US Military Intervention in Venezuela

The United States launched a unilateral military intervention in Venezuela, bombing infrastructure and capturing the sitting head of state, without Congressional authorization, UN Security Council …

  • The US launched Operation Absolute Resolve on January 3, 2026, bombing Venezuelan infrastructure and capturing President Nicolas Maduro …
  • The operation included bombing to suppress air defenses across northern Venezuela followed by a special operations raid on Maduro's compound …

Operation Southern Spear: Lethal Drone Strikes on Caribbean and Pacific Drug Boats

A sustained campaign of Hellfire missile strikes on suspected drug boats has killed at least 95 people without due process, public evidence of drug trafficking, or identification of the dead. Legal …

  • At least 95 people killed in 26+ Hellfire missile strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since September 2, 2025, with no public …
  • The very first strike on September 2, 2025 included a 'double tap' — two survivors clung to wreckage for 45 minutes before a follow-up …

Torture and Enforced Disappearances at 'Alligator Alcatraz' and Krome Detention Centers

Florida immigration detention centers are sites of documented torture including a punitive cage device, prolonged solitary confinement, unsanitary conditions, and enforced disappearances facilitated …

  • Amnesty International conducted a research trip to southern Florida in September 2025 and published findings in December 2025 documenting …
  • 'Alligator Alcatraz' (Everglades Detention Facility) operates OUTSIDE federal oversight, without the basic tracking systems used in ICE …

US Airstrike Kills 68 African Migrants in Yemen Detention Center

US airstrikes killed 68 detained African migrants sleeping in a Sa'ada detention center during Operation Rough Rider. Amnesty International's investigation found no evidence the facility was a …

  • US airstrikes hit a migrant detention center in Sa'ada, Yemen at approximately 5:00 AM on April 28, 2025, while 115 detained migrants were …
  • Victims were primarily Ethiopian and Somali migrants detained by Houthi authorities solely for their irregular immigration status — they …

Secret Deportation of 260+ Venezuelans to CECOT Mega-Prison

Over 260 Venezuelans were secretly deported to CECOT, where HRW documented torture, sexual violence, prolonged incommunicado detention, and denial of basic necessities. Many deportees had no criminal …

  • 260+ Venezuelan nationals were secretly deported to CECOT between March and April 2025, without notice to families or attorneys, …
  • HRW's 'You Have Arrived in Hell' report documented regular and severe physical abuse, sexual violence (at least 3 cases including forced …

Forced Disappearances of Salvadoran Deportees in El Salvador's Prison System

Systematic forced disappearances of Salvadoran nationals deported from the US, held incommunicado in Salvadoran prisons including CECOT with no access to lawyers, families, or courts. The US bears …

  • Human Rights Watch documented 11 cases of Salvadorans deported from the US between mid-March and mid-October 2025 who were immediately …
  • None of the deportees have been allowed to communicate with their relatives or lawyers. None have been brought before a judge.

Secret $6 Million Contract to Outsource Detention to El Salvador's CECOT

A secret $6 million contract enabled the US to outsource detention to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison, where HRW documented systematic torture. The unreleased agreement created an unprecedented …

  • The US paid $6 million to El Salvador to detain deportees at CECOT, a mega-prison where HRW documented systematic torture including sexual …
  • The agreement was negotiated during Secretary Rubio's February 2025 visit to El Salvador and finalized as a written deal that has never been …

Guantanamo Bay Immigrant Detention: Solitary Confinement and Torture Conditions

Immigrants transferred to Guantanamo Bay face conditions amounting to torture: 23+ hour solitary confinement, punishment chairs, physical abuse, and incommunicado detention. ACLU and CCR lawsuits …

  • Approximately 500 immigrants transferred to Guantanamo Bay Migrant Operations Center since January 2025, with executive order calling for …
  • Detainees held in solitary, windowless cells for 23+ hours per day, constantly shackled, subjected to invasive strip searches and a …

Deportation and Medical Neglect of Pregnant Women in ICE Custody

ICE deported 363 pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women in 13 months and recorded 16 miscarriages in detention. Women were shackled while miscarrying, denied prenatal care, and subjected to invasive …

  • 363 pregnant, postpartum, and nursing immigrants were deported between January 1, 2025 and February 16, 2026.
  • 16 miscarriages were recorded in ICE custody by late September 2025.

US Arms Transfers to Israel During ICJ Genocide Proceedings

Continued US arms transfers to Israel during ICJ genocide proceedings, including emergency bypasses of Congressional review, combined with active diplomatic defense of Israel at the ICJ, raising …

  • Since October 2023, the US has delivered 90,000 tons of arms to Israel on 800 transport planes and 140 ships, continuing throughout ICJ …
  • The Trump administration approved 12,000+ thousand-pound bombs via emergency authority in 2026, bypassing Congressional review of the …

US-Supplied White Phosphorus Used Over Lebanese Civilian Areas

Israel deployed US-supplied white phosphorus over Lebanese civilian areas in 191 attacks across 17+ municipalities since October 2023, continuing through March 2026. HRW verified the attacks as …

  • Over 918 hectares hit across 191 white phosphorus attacks in southern Lebanon since October 2023, with 39% striking directly over civilian …
  • HRW verified the March 3, 2026 use of airburst white phosphorus over residential homes in Yohmor, classifying it as unlawfully …

Federal Agents Kill ICU Nurse Alex Pretti During Minneapolis Immigration Protest

A second American citizen killed by federal agents during Minneapolis immigration enforcement protests. The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — both unarmed U.S. citizens — during a single …

  • Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was killed by federal agents on January 24, 2026, during protests in Minneapolis over the …
  • Pretti was the second U.S. citizen killed by federal agents during the Minneapolis immigration enforcement operation within a 17-day period.

Deportations to Haiti Despite Gang Control and Humanitarian Collapse

The US deported Haitians to a country the FAA banned US airlines from landing in due to gang gunfire, where 90% of the capital is under gang control and 1.4 million are displaced. DHS terminated TPS …

  • 90% of Port-au-Prince is under gang control as of July 2025 according to the United Nations.
  • The FAA banned US airlines from landing at Port-au-Prince airport after deportation planes came under gang gunfire; flights were rerouted to …

Surge in Solitary Confinement in Immigration Detention

10,500+ people subjected to solitary confinement in immigration detention over 14 months, with usage surging under the Trump administration. Nearly 75% of placements exceeded the UN's 15-day torture …

  • Over 10,500 people were placed in solitary confinement in immigration detention centers between April 2024 and May 2025.
  • The monthly rate of solitary confinement use under the second Trump administration was twice the rate from 2018-2023 and more than six times …

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Deported to El Salvador Despite Withholding Order

Federal officials removed Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador despite a preexisting withholding order barring that destination, then spent weeks litigating what it meant to 'facilitate' his return …

  • An immigration judge had already barred Abrego Garcia's removal to El Salvador.
  • Public reporting said he was transferred into El Salvador's CECOT prison system.