International Courts to Pursue Case of Damage to Historical Sites in Isfahan

The Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Isfahan Province announced that the complaint filed over the destruction of and damage to Isfahan’s cultural heritage, following the damage inflicted by the recent war on some historical buildings, has been referred through the judiciary to UNESCO and the World Court after the supporting documents were prepared in international languages, and is now being pursued. At the same time, the Chair of UNESCO in Iran and the head of the UNESCO inter-university network said that consultations have begun to make use of the capacity of international scientific and academic networks and to secure specialized cooperation from countries around the world in order to protect, restore, and provide expert support for Isfahan’s historical monuments.

• The Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Isfahan Province announced that the case concerning damage to Isfahan’s historical monuments is being pursued in international courts.
• This complaint case was filed following damage caused by the "recent imposed war" to some of Isfahan’s historical buildings.
• The documents related to this case have been prepared in international languages.
• The case has been referred through the judiciary to UNESCO and the World Court.
• The Chair of UNESCO in Iran announced the start of consultations to make use of the capacity of international scientific and academic networks.
• The purpose of these consultations is the protection, restoration, and expert support of Isfahan’s historical monuments.
• The head of the UNESCO inter-university network also announced consultations to secure specialized cooperation from countries around the world for the protection of Isfahan’s world heritage monuments.
• Sputnik Persian published a report titled “Between the remnants of war and the scent of the sea... Sour Beach revives with life in preparation for a new summer,” which appears to address a different topic from the damage to Isfahan’s historical monuments.. Coverage difference: IRNA and Young Journalists Club focused on the pursuit of the case concerning damage to Isfahan’s historical monuments in international courts and the role of the provincial cultural heritage director. In contrast, Mehr News and IRNA (in a separate report) focused on efforts to secure international support and make use of global capacities to protect Isfahan’s historical monuments, emphasizing the role of the UNESCO chair and the inter-university network. Sputnik Persian also published a report with a different headline that appears to address an issue unrelated to Isfahan.