Dindar Zibari: Targeting the Kurdistan Region with Missiles and Drones Is a “War Crime”

ARK News.. The International Advocacy Coordinator for the Kurdistan Region, Dindar Zibari, described the recent security escalation and repeated attacks targeting the Region—particularly the capital, Erbil, following the events of February 28—as a “serious undermining of the international human rights system and a grave breach of international humanitarian law.”

In a press statement, Zibari said that attacks carried out using drones and indiscriminate missiles against vital facilities and densely populated residential areas represent a blatant attempt to destabilize the Region and disrupt its peaceful coexistence. He stressed that the Kurdistan Region has never been a party to the ongoing regional conflicts.

From a legal standpoint, Zibari classified these assaults within the framework of international criminal law, noting that the deliberate use of weapons with indiscriminate effects—such as suicide drones and unguided missiles—constitutes a “war crime” under the International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute.

He further explained that such actions amount to clear violations of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols, which impose strict protections for civilians and civilian objects under all circumstances.

Zibari stated that the attacks go beyond conventional security breaches, amounting to a direct violation of rights recognized by the United Nations. He said the strikes have resulted in violations of the right to life and the right to live in a safe environment, undermined civil, political, economic, and social rights, disrupted essential services such as education and healthcare, and damaged the Region’s development environment and investment climate.

He warned that the continued absence of accountability for those responsible could pave the way for further violations threatening regional peace and security. Zibari called on the international community and the UN system—particularly the Human Rights Council—to adopt a firm and responsible stance to put an end to what he described as reckless attacks.

He concluded by emphasizing that the security of the Kurdistan Region is a cornerstone of stability in Iraq and the wider region, asserting that protecting its citizens from such attacks represents the “true test” of the international community’s commitment to humanitarian values and international law.

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