Κατά τη διάρκεια του πολέμου εναντίον του Ιράν και ενόψει της εμπλοκής Κύπρου και Ελλάδας σε αυτόν δια των βάσεων του ΗΒ και των ΗΠΑ αντιστοίχως, πανεπιστημιακοί από την Ελλάδα και την Κύπρο αρχικώς και αργότερα από μια σειρά κρατών συμπεριλαμβανομένων του Λιβάνου και του Ιράν, οργάνωσαν τη σχετική πρωτοβουλία εναντίον του πολέμου στο Ιράν και στον Λίβανο. Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο, επιπλέον μιας σειράς πρωτοβουλιών συνέταξαν ανοιχτή επιστολή η οποία θα διακινηθεί και περαιτέρω προς υπογραφή.

Αναλυτικά η ανοικτή επιστολή (στα αγγλικά):

Open Letter of Academics to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the European Union, International Organizations, and Heads of State

We, a group of academics and scholars of international law from various countries, express our profound concern regarding the armed conflicts that began on 28 February 2026 by the United States of America and the Zionist regime, in violation of international law and, in particular, the Charter of the United Nations, against the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as in Lebanon, and which continue to this day. We submit this letter with the aim of elucidating the legal dimensions of this situation, recalling the fundamental obligations of the international community, and contributing to efforts to bring an end to these unlawful wars. The current developments constitute not merely regional crises, but also a fundamental test for the credibility and effectiveness of the contemporary international legal order, as well as for the conscience of the international community.

Under the fundamental principles of international law, in particular the peremptory norm prohibiting aggression, any use of force in international relations is prohibited except within the narrowly defined exceptions set out in the Charter of the United Nations. The military actions undertaken by the United States of America and the Zionist regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran and in Lebanon, in the absence of authorization by the Security Council and without meeting the legal requirements of self-defence, constitute a manifest violation of this peremptory norm. These acts, in addition to constituting internationally wrongful acts entailing the international responsibility of the perpetrating states, also bear the characteristics of the “crime of aggression” and may give rise to individual criminal responsibility of the relevant political and military officials under international criminal law.

In this context, any attempt to justify these actions under concepts such as anticipatory self-defence, humanitarian intervention, or the responsibility to protect lacks a valid legal basis under existing customary and treaty-based international law. An expansive interpretation of Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations that undermines the prohibition on the use of force is inconsistent with state practice and prevailing legal doctrine, and risks eroding one of the most fundamental norms of the international order.

The role of certain regional and extra-regional states that, knowingly and deliberately, have made their territory, airspace, or infrastructure available to United States military forces, including in operations conducted against Iran and Lebanon, is of particular significance from the perspective of the law of state responsibility. Such cooperation, carried out with knowledge of the unlawful nature of the recent wars and related operations, constitutes “aid or assistance in the commission of an internationally wrongful act” and entails the international responsibility of those states. Moreover, pursuant to Article 3 of the 1974 Definition of Aggression, such conduct independently qualifies as an “act of aggression.” Such behavior, particularly in the context of violations of peremptory norms, entails aggravated legal consequences and gives rise to specific obligations for other members of the international community. Furthermore, the individual criminal responsibility of political and military officials is also implicated.

In addition, these wars have, from the outset, been conducted with the intention of direct intervention by the United States of America and the Zionist regime in the internal and external affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Lebanon. Such interventions are in clear violation of the fundamental principle of non-intervention in international law and are, in particular, inconsistent with the binding obligations of the United States under the 1981 Algiers Declarations, in which the United States expressly undertook not to intervene, directly or indirectly, in the internal affairs of Iran. The breach of this obligation, in addition to giving rise to international responsibility, undermines confidence in international commitments and the principle of pacta sunt servanda.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, within the framework of Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, has resorted to self-defence as an inherent and lawful right in response to the armed attacks carried out against its territorial integrity and political independence in Iran and in Lebanon. The United States of America seeks, in violation of international law, to compel Iran into an agreement which, if concluded, would be void, as, pursuant to Article 52 of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties—as a rule of customary law—“A treaty is void if its conclusion has been procured by the threat or use of force in violation of the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations.”

In the field of international humanitarian law, available reports indicate grave, widespread, and systematic violations of the fundamental rules of this legal regime in Iran and Lebanon. Attacks against civilians and civilian objects in Iran and Lebanon, including the killing of children at the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in Minab and reported civilian casualties in Lebanon, the killing of civilian populations including women and children in both theatres, and repeated attacks against universities, schools, hospitals, banks, power plants, oil refineries, bridges, civilian airports, residential homes, and other essential civilian infrastructure in Iran and Lebanon, constitute violations of the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, and, consequently, war crimes. The persistence of such a pattern of conduct across both theatres is not only inconsistent with customary and treaty-based rules of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, but also reflects a serious disregard for minimum humanitarian standards in armed conflict.

Moreover, the United States of America has on several occasions declared that it has achieved its objectives in attacking Iran, yet it continues to target Iran’s essential civilian infrastructure and civilian population. The Zionist regime, following its policy and practice in Gaza, is likewise pursuing the destruction of essential civilian infrastructure and the killing of civilians, particularly children, in Iran and Lebanon. There is a serious concern that such killing and destruction may also lead to genocide in Iran and/or Lebanon.

The violation of the prohibition of aggression, as a peremptory norm of international law, entails specific consequences within the system of international responsibility. Obligations arising from this norm are of an erga omnes character and are owed to the international community as a whole. Accordingly, all members of the international community are under a legal obligation to refrain from rendering any aid or assistance to the states responsible for this violation, not to recognize as lawful the situation created thereby, and to employ lawful means, including diplomatic measures, economic sanctions, the severance of relations, and legal proceedings, in order to bring an end to these unlawful situations.

In this regard, recalling the purposes and principles set forth in the Preamble of the Charter of the United Nations is of particular importance. The United Nations was established to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war; to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, and in the equal rights of nations large and small; to establish conditions under which justice and respect for obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained; and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom. States further undertook to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors, to unite their strength to maintain international peace and security, to ensure that armed force shall not be used except in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples. The realization of these objectives requires genuine and effective adherence to the principles of the Charter—principles that have been clearly and unjustifiably violated in the present situation.

We, the undersigned, call upon the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the institutions of the European Union, other international organizations, and states to fulfill their legal obligations by taking immediate, effective, and coordinated measures to bring an end to these conflicts in Iran and Lebanon, ensure compliance with international law, protect civilians, and hold accountable those responsible for serious violations. We further call upon international public opinion, including civil society, academic institutions, and independent media, to act in accordance with their ethical and social responsibilities by raising awareness, fostering informed debate, and opposing violations of international law, thereby contributing to the protection of fundamental norms of the international legal order. Silence or inaction in the face of such violations not only perpetuates impunity, but also places the credibility, coherence, and effectiveness of the entire international legal order at serious risk. Undoubtedly, such silence may amount to complicity in the commission of internationally wrongful acts and international crimes.

This moment constitutes a decisive test for the international community to demonstrate whether peremptory norms of international law, erga omnes obligations, and the fundamental values that emerged in the aftermath of the catastrophes of the twentieth century continue to possess binding force, or whether they will be marginalized in the face of power and political expediency. The answer to this question will determine not only the fate of particular conflicts, but also the future of the international legal order as a whole.

Ποιοι υπογράφουν την επιστολή

1. Ahmad Reza Meftah – Assistant Professor, University of Religions and Denominations
2. Aikaterini Georgiadou, Attorney at Law, Member of the Thessaloniki Bar Association, LLM in Public Law and Political Sciences, School of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
3. Alexandra Ioannidou, Slavist, Professor, Department for Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia, Greece.
4. Alexandros Kioupkiolis, Professor of Contemporary Political Theory, School of Political Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
5. Ali Ahadi – Assistant Professor of International Law, University of Tehran, College of Farabi
6. Alireza Mazloum Rahni, Attorney at law, member of Iranian Central Bar Association and Assistant prof., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
7. Alkisti Prepi, Lecturer, Master’s Program «Urban and Regional Planning», National Technical University of Athens, Greece.
8. Amar Rouabhi Associate Professor, Boumerdes University, Algeria.

9.      Andreas Lyberatos, Associate Professor of Modern Balkan History, Panteion University, Greece.

1. Angeliki Mouzakiti, Historian, Laboratory and Teaching Staff, Ionian University, Greece.
2. Antonio Cecere, Professore a contratto, Dipartimento di Lettere e Filosofia, Università degli studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Italia.

12.  Antonis Hadjikyriacou, Assistant Professor of Ottoman and Turkish History, Panteion University, Greece.

1. Arash Izadi, Attorney at Law, founder of SHANGHAI  IZADI  PERSIAN INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM, Shanghai, China.
2. Christos Taxiltaris, Professor emeritus in Transport Planning and Engineering AUTh, Greece.
3. Christos Tourtouras, Professor, School of Pedagogy, Faculty of Primary Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
4. Costas Gousis, Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Sociology, University of Crete, Greece.
5. Davood Mollahasani – Assistant Professor, Department of Quran, University of Religions and Denominations
6. Dimitrios S. Patelis, Dr. Professor of Philosophy, Technical University of Crete, Greece, World Anti-Imperialist Platform.
7. Dimitris Charalambous, Professor of Educational Policy, Faculty of Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

20.  Dimitris Kaltsonis, Professor of Theory of State and Law, Panteion University, Greece. 

• Dimitris Nikoloudis, Laboratory and Teaching Staff,  Faculty of Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. 
• Dionysios G. Drosos, Professor Emeritus of Moral and Political Philosophy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Ebrahim Qasemi – Assistant Professor, University of Religions and Denominations
• Eygenia Grammatikopoulou, Assistant Professor, School of Political Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Faye Tzanetoulakou Art Historian, AICA International Board Member Post Doctorate Researcher, School of Architecture, University of Thessaly, Greece. 
• Francis Owakah, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Human Rights, Dept. of Philosophy & Religious Studies, Centre for Human Rights & Peace, University of Nairobi, Kenya.
• Grigoris Zarotiadis Dr. Prof. School of Economics, Member of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) Governing Council, Greece.
• Hamid Reza Shariatmadari – Assistant Professor, University of Religions and Denominations
• Hamideh Amiryazdani – Assistant Professor, Department of Abrahamic Religions, University of Religions and Denominations
• Heybatollah Najandimanesh, Associate Professor of International Law, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran.
• Hossein Zarvandi – Assistant Professor, University of Religions and Denominations
• Iraklis Mavridis, Associate Professor, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Greece.
• Javad Lotfi – Assistant Professor, University of Religions and Denominations
• Khomeini “Naseh”, University Lecturer, Head of the “Path to Success” Organization, Afghanistan.
• Konstantina Ritsatou, Professor, School of Drama, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
• Konstantinos Manolidis, Professor of Architecture, School of Architecture, University of Thessaly, Greece.
• Kyriakos Bonidis, Professor of School Pedagogy and Peace Education, Faculty of Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Loukianos Hassiotis, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, School of History and Archaeology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Mahdi Farmanian – Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Denominations
• Mahdi Norouzi – Assistant Professor, Department of Contemporary Law and Jurisprudence, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
• Μaria Kavala, Assistant Professor, School of Political Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Maria Mavrommati, Assistant Professor of History Didactics, School of Primary Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Masoud Bavanpouri – Assistant Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, University of Religions and Denominations
• Maytham Irani – Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Literature and Humanities
• Mohamad Shirinkarmovahed – Assistant Professor, University of Religions and Denominations
• Mohammad Hassan Mohammadi Mozaffar – Assistant Professor, University of Religions and Denominations
• Mohammad Mehryar – Assistant Professor, Department of Law, University of Religions and Denominations
• Mohammad Taghi Ansaripour – Assistant Professor, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
•  Mohammad Taher Qolibatabar “Assistant Professor of Comparative Studies of Religions at the University of Religions and Denominations”
• Mohammad Zare Boushehri – Faculty Member of Islamic Studies, University of Religions and Denominations
• Mohammad Zarghani – Assistant Professor, University of Religions and Denominations
• Mohd Qamar Alam, Department of Persian, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India.
• Muhammad Shoukri Fumishi – Assistant Professor, Department of Eastern Religions
• Mustafa JafarTayyari – President of the University of Religions and Denominations
• Nasir Abbas Shah Sherazit, President, Centre For Pakistan And Persian Gulf Studies (CPGS), Islamabad, Pakistan.
• Navid Khakbazan – Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
• Naya Kalfeli, Adjunct Lecturer – Researcher, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
• Nicos Trimikliniotis, Professor of Sociology, Social Sciences and Law, University of Nicosia, Cyprus. 
• Nikolas Kosmatopoulos, Associate Professor of anthropology and politics, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
• Nikolas Sevastakis, Professor of Contemporary Political and Social Philosophy, School of Political Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Nikos Christofis, Assistant Professor of International Cultural Studies, Department of Language and Intercultural Studies, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece.
• Panos Kourgiotis, Ph.D. Assistant Professor in Contemporary Arab & Middle Eastern History, Political Islam & Modern Standard Arabic, Department of Balkan Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Penny Bouska, Αssistant Professor, School of  Film, Faculty of Fine Arts, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

64.  Penny Koutrolikou, Professor in Urban Studies, NTUA, Greece.

• Periklis Pavlidis, Professor, Faculty of Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Polyxeni Papadaki Prof. Dr., Dean of the School of Economy and Public Administration, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Greece.
• Qaisar Bilal Khattak, Assistant Professor of Theology, Kohat University of Science and Τechnology, Κohat, Pakistan.
• Seyed Mohammad Saeid Taheri Moosavi – Assistant Professor, Department of Law, University of Religions and Denominations
• Seyed Mostafa Tabatabai – Assistant Professor, Department of Comparative Law and Jurisprudence, Faculty of Islamic Denominations, University of Religions and Denominations
• Shahrdad Darabi – Associate Professor of Criminal Law & Criminology, Qom Islamic Azad University
• Shirin Saidi, Associate Professor of International Relations, Arkansas University, USA.
• Sophia Kefalidou, linguist, Laboratory and Teaching Staff,  Faculty of Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Spyros Marchetos, Assistant Professor, School of Political Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Spyros Sakellaropoulos, Professor, State and Political Theory, Panteion University, Greece.
• Stella Evangelidou, Adjunct faculty, Department of Architecture, Frederick University, Cyprus.
• Supratman Suyuti, Lecturer, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia.
• Sushil Kumar Sonkar, Advocate, Supreme Court of India, Ph.D Research Scholar, India Arab Cultural Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University), New Delhi, India.
• Syed Ali Kazim, Professor, Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India.
• Taygeti Michalakea, Assistant Professor, University of Nicosia, Cyprus.
• Themistoklis Tzimas, Assistant Professor, University of Nicosia, Cyprus.
• Vahideh Naeim Abadi – Assistant Professor and Faculty Member of Media Management, University of Religions and Denominations

82.  Vasiliki Kantzara, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Greece.

• Vasilis Kostakis Professor of Technology Governance and Sustainability, TalTech, Estonia, Faculty Associate, Berkman Center, Harvard Law School.
• Vassilios Betsakos, Laboratory and Teaching Staff, School of Political Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Vassilis Karageorgiou, Professor, School of Geosciences, International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki, Greece.

86.  Xenia Marinou, Assistant Professor, Panteion University, Greece.

• Yannis Kouzis, Emeritus Professor, Panteion University, Greece.