War WATCH Episode 5 – Iran: No Ceasefire for Civilians
In the fifth episode of the War WATCH podcast, host Juliette Graf and Stuart Casey-Maslen meet Shima Esmailian from the University of Geneva, where they examine what the Iran conflict has looked like for ordinary civilians.
In the fifth episode of the War Watch podcast, a series from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, a joint centre of the University of Geneva and the Geneva Graduate Institute, Shima Esmailian, PhD candidate at the University of Geneva researching international law and gender, and Stuart Casey-Maslen, Special Adviser to the Geneva Academy’s War Watch project, examine what the Iran conflict has meant for ordinary Iranians — caught between a government that massacred its own protesters, external strikes by the United States and Israel, and an aftermath in which repression has only intensified.
The episode covers the January 2026 crackdown, strikes on universities and water infrastructure, and a ceasefire that has brought no peace — with executions continuing and international scrutiny fading.
Iran is one of the conflicts tracked on the War Watch portal, where you can find the full legal analysis and documented violations.
Find out more at:
War Watch portal – Iran: warwatch.ch
Geneva Academy of IHL and Human Rights: geneva-academy.ch
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran: ohchr.org/en/special-
ICRC – Protection of civilian objects: icrc.org
ICCPR – International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: ohchr.org