TEHRAN – Iran’s deputy judiciary chief for international affairs and secretary of the Human Rights Headquarters slammed the international community’s double standards in confronting terrorism on Saturday, saying Iranian victims are often met with silence, justification or political spin while attacks in Western countries provoke immediate global outcry.
“Terrorism does not end with the killing of one person,” Nasser Seraj said at a ceremony commemorating victims of terrorism in Tehran. 
“Terrorism enters the life of a family from the moment it targets a human being and sometimes leaves its mark for several generations. A bullet may take a person from his family in seconds, but the pain of that family will continue for years.”
Seraj said thousands of Iranian citizens – including children, women, men, the elderly, ordinary people, officials, scientists, military and police forces, clerics, workers and students – have lost their lives in terrorist operations.
“A child who has lost his father, a mother who has lost her child, a spouse who has lost their life partner, and a family that feels the empty place of a loved one at their table every year – all are victims of terrorism. From this perspective, the victim of terrorism is not only the person who lost their life, but a family, a society, and sometimes a generation.”
Seraj noted that the United Nations has designated August 21 as the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, emphasizing support for victims, preserving their dignity, and ensuring their fundamental rights and freedoms. But he questioned whether the international community treats all victims equally.
“If a terrorist act occurs in a European country, it immediately becomes a global issue, but if the victim is Iranian, the reactions are sometimes very limited,” Seraj said.
“If a political official is assassinated anywhere in the world, it is referred to as a threat to international peace and security, but when the victim is an Iranian citizen or students from Minab, sometimes the same incident is met with silence, justification, or even political spin. This is the double standard that we must speak about frankly.”
He emphasized that human rights must be universal in practice, not just in principle. “A child is a child – Iranian, Palestinian, European, African, Asian. An Iranian mother who loses her child experiences the same pain as a mother anywhere else in the world.”
Seraj said the fight against terrorism must not be limited to non-state groups. “The international community must have a unified position against any organized use of violence against civilians, regardless of the identity of the perpetrators,” he said.
“If an armed group targets one or more citizens, this action must be condemned. Military power cannot be a license to violate human rights. Membership in a political coalition cannot grant immunity, and claims of fighting terrorism cannot justify targeting ordinary people.”
Seraj pointed to recent 12-day war, the 40-day war, and the Hormuz war, where civilians, families, children, women and the elderly were subjected to terrorist attacks and insecurity by the U.S. and Israel. 
“No military objective justifies the killing of children,” he said, noting that a school in Minab became a scene of death. 
“A school should be a place of education, hope and future-building, not a scene of children’s death. No political ideal, geopolitical dispute or military objective should destroy the dignity and security of children’s lives.”
Seraj also noted that terrorism has struck the highest levels of Iran’s political leadership, with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei martyred in recent attacks along with members of his family.
“Victims should not be forgotten,” Seraj said, stressing the need for legal, psychological, economic and social support for victims and their families. 
“From the international community, we expect a single standard in combating terrorism. We should not have good and bad terrorism, Eastern and Western terrorism. State and non-state terrorism cannot be defined based on political interests. Any action that causes terror, the killing of civilians and the deprivation of people’s security and peace must be condemned, regardless of its perpetrator and political motive.”
“If we accept double standards, we have weakened justice. Our message is clear: terrorism, wherever and by whomever, is condemned. Human lives are not subject to political bargaining. The rights of victims are not subject to discrimination, and no power should consider itself above responsibility for human lives.”