Terms, Policy & Ethical Framework

The last update of this page is 21 March 2026.

1. Nature of the Initiative
   1. Civilians of Iran is an independent, non-profit, volunteer-driven initiative dedicated to documenting civilian harm in the context of the 2025 Israel–Iran conflict and the 2026 US–Israel–Iran conflict.
   2. We operate as a public-interest documentation and research platform, grounded in International Humanitarian Law (IHL), International Human Rights Law (IHRL), open-source investigation methodologies, and verified narrative documentation. We are not affiliated with any government, political entity, military organization, or corporate interest.
   3. Our mission is to: document and preserve evidence of harm to civilians; restore identity, dignity, and narrative to victims; and contribute to accountability, memory, and truth.
   4. We operate under the following core principles: independence, operational neutrality, evidence-based analysis, and human dignity and victim-centered storytelling.

2. Editorial Independence, Anonymity and Non-Affiliation Policy
   1. Our editorial and research processes are strictly protected from any external influence. Under no circumstances may donors, sponsors, partners, or contributors interfere with research direction; case selection; evidence verification; legal classification or analysis; or narrative framing or reporting. All financial or institutional support is accepted only under the condition of zero editorial control. Any attempt to influence editorial outputs results in immediate termination of the relationship.
   2. In order to safeguard the security of its editorial and core team, Civilians of Iran operates under an anonymity policy. This measure is adopted to mitigate risks including, but not limited to, doxxing, harassment, intimidation, and other forms of potential harm in digital or physical environments. Accordingly, the identities of the editorial team, researchers, and core contributors are not publicly disclosed under any circumstances, and Civilians of Iran does not publish, confirm, or validate the identity of individuals associated with its internal operations.
   3. No individual, organization, or third party is authorized to claim official representation of Civilians of Iran without explicit, verifiable authorization. Any unauthorized use of our name, identity, affiliation, or representation, whether explicit or implied, is considered invalid and holds no legitimacy. The proper and only recognized form of reference is: “Civilians of Iran” (initiative/project).
   4. For the purposes of operational necessity, including, but not limited to, entering into contracts, financial transactions (including payments, donations, or sponsorship management), or securing permits or permissions for field-related activities, a designated representative of the initiative may, on a strictly need-to-know basis, engage using their real identity. Such disclosures are limited. We formally request that all partners, institutions, media platforms, and individuals respect and preserve the anonymity of our team, refrain from any attempt to identify, expose, or infer internal personnel, and avoid publishing or circulating any information that may compromise the safety of our contributors.

3. Funding Model, Financial Ethics & Sponsorship Policy
   1. Civilians of Iran is funded through voluntary public support. Funding sources may include individual donations, civil society organizations, foundations, and research institutions. We explicitly do not accept funding that compromises independence; do not accept conditional funding tied to narrative or outcomes; and do not maintain financial dependence on any single entity.
   2. Donor and sponsor identities are confidential by default, unless explicit consent is provided by the donor or sponsor for disclosure. Please review our sponsorship terms before any action; they are available upon request at: [email protected]
   3. We prioritize support from eligible sponsors (priority alignment), such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), human rights and legal advocacy groups, independent media institutions, academic and research bodies, and charitable and humanitarian organizations.
   4. We do not accept funding from governments or state-affiliated entities; military organizations or security institutions; political parties or ideological groups; companies involved in weapons production, surveillance, or armed conflict; or any entity seeking influence over content, analysis, or positioning.
   5. We offer structured support tiers (e.g., Supporter, Partner, Major Sponsor), which may include:
      • Public acknowledgment (optional / anonymous available)
      • Inclusion in transparency report
      • Invitations to briefings and research updates
   6. Opportunities for dissemination (events, exhibitions, academic use)
   7. We are committed to publishing periodic financial summaries (aggregated), providing clarity on the allocation of resources, maintaining internal audit practices, and ensuring alignment with our mission in all expenditures.

4. Participation, Contribution Model & Intellectual Property
   1. Civilians of Iran operates as an open, collaborative platform. Third-party contributors may participate in data collection, analysis and verification, and/or translation and dissemination. We may publish reports with participants’ names; however, no contributor may represent themselves as part of the core team, and participation does not grant authority over editorial outputs. All contributions are subject to internal validation processes.
   2. All content is published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). This means:
      • Free use, reproduction, translation, and adaptation is allowed
      • Commercial and non-commercial use is permitted
      • No prior permission is required
   3. Proper attribution to “Civilians of Iran” is mandatory
   4. Content must not be distorted, misrepresented, or used out of context
   5. Media, researchers, and institutions are encouraged to freely use and redistribute our materials. We do not claim exclusive ownership over narratives or data; our goal is maximum dissemination with integrity.

5. Security, Data Integrity, & Privacy Considerations
   1. We rely on publicly available information, structured verification methodologies, and multi-source validation. We commit to avoiding exaggeration, speculation, or premature judgment; clearly labeling uncertainty when present; correcting errors transparently and promptly; and maintaining versioned updates for all corrected materials.
   2. We prioritize the protection of victims’ dignity, the privacy of individuals and families, and the security of contributors and sources. We avoid publishing identifiable information where it may endanger individuals, violate privacy rights, or cause secondary harm.
   3. In respect of national security considerations and operational sensitivities within Iran, Civilians of Iran adopts a strictly bounded approach to field research and individual profiling. We only document and profile individuals whose identities have already been:
      • Publicly disclosed through first-hand, primary sources (e.g., direct media reporting, official announcements, or verified public records), or
      • Explicitly made public by families, institutions, or credible open sources
   4. We do not independently reveal, expose, or publish previously undisclosed identities. Our field research is therefore limited in scope to profiling individuals already publicly identified; expanding and deepening available information; contextualizing narratives around victims’ lives, identities, and impact; and preserving dignity through structured storytelling. Our role is not exposure, but documentation, preservation, and human-centered depth.

6. Corrections, Takedown Requests & Right to Response
   1. Civilians of Iran is committed to accuracy, accountability, and responsible documentation. If any published information is found to be inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete, we strongly encourage individuals, families, institutions, or relevant parties to notify us.
   2. Requests for correction or removal (takedown) may be submitted by providing:
      • A clear reference to the content in question
      • A description of the concern or inaccuracy
      • Supporting documentation or verifiable evidence
   3. All submissions should be sent to: [email protected]
   4. We treat all such requests with seriousness and respect, while ensuring that any changes remain consistent with our principles of accuracy, integrity, and evidence-based reporting.

7. Violence, Non-Sanitization Policy & Non-Exploitation Policy
   1. Civilians of Iran acknowledges the ethical responsibility of documenting violence without sensationalizing or exploiting human suffering. Our approach to graphic and sensitive content is guided by the following principles: we do not publish graphic images or footage unless they serve a clear and necessary evidentiary or contextual purpose; we avoid sensationalism, shock-driven presentation, or aestheticization of violence; and we prioritize the dignity of victims over visual impact. At the same time, we do not artificially sanitize or soften the reality of war.
   2. Civilians of Iran does not engage in narrative softening, distortion, or selective framing that would misrepresent the realities of war. We explicitly reject sanitized portrayals that obscure civilian suffering; politically convenient narratives that omit harm; and selective storytelling that undermines factual completeness.
   3. Our work aims to reflect the full human cost of conflict, preserve the complexity and gravity of events, and resist both propaganda and emotional manipulation. Truth, even when uncomfortable, is central to our mission.
   4. We do not treat victims’ stories as content assets. We are committed to avoiding emotional exploitation or trauma-driven storytelling for engagement; respecting the agency and dignity of individuals and families; and refraining from intrusive or harmful narrative practices. Whenever possible, we center identity over victimhood and life stories over moment-of-death framing.

8. Scope Definition: Civilian Status
   1. All documentation, classification, and reporting are grounded in established international legal frameworks, including the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property.
   2. Civilians of Iran recognizes that while international humanitarian law provides formal definitions of “civilian” and “combatant,” realities on the ground—particularly in contexts such as West Asia—often complicate these classifications. We explicitly acknowledge that:
      • The targeted killing of military or political figures within civilian environments (including private residences) may constitute a violation of the principles of distinction and proportionality, and may amount to war crimes
      • In systems where military service is compulsory, many individuals present in military locations (including barracks, checkpoints, or police stations) are not voluntary combatants, but conscripts with no active role in hostilities
   3. From a substantive and human-centered perspective, many such individuals can reasonably be understood as civilians at the time of harm, particularly where they are not directly participating in hostilities. However, for the purpose of this initiative—and to maintain maximum clarity, credibility, and global communicability—Civilians of Iran adopts a deliberately focused operational scope. At this stage, our documentation prioritizes:
      • Individuals whose civilian status is clear, visible, and uncontested
      • Victims killed in explicitly civilian settings
   4. This focus is not a concession, but a strategic choice. It allows us to establish an unambiguous record of harm; eliminate space for denial, relativization, or narrative dispute; and present cases where the violation of civilian protection is self-evident and globally understandable.
   5. We emphasize that this approach does not negate the civilian character of other victims, including conscripts or individuals killed in structurally coercive military contexts. Rather, it reflects a deliberate sequencing strategy: beginning with the most indisputable cases in order to construct a credible, defensible, and scalable body of documentation. As the initiative develops, the scope may expand to more complex classifications in alignment with legal analysis, evidentiary standards, and operational capacity.

9. Position on the Normalization of Civilian Harm
   1. Civilians of Iran expresses deep concern over the increasing normalization of patterns of warfare that result in widespread harm to civilian populations. We observe that practices which blur the distinction between civilian and military spheres—through strikes in densely populated areas, attacks impacting civilian infrastructure, and cascading effects on everyday life—have, over time, become more frequent across different regions. This trajectory is deeply concerning.
   2. While these patterns have emerged in multiple contexts over recent years, their expansion into new geographies underscores a broader global risk: the gradual erosion of established norms designed to protect civilians in times of conflict. We firmly oppose any practice, by any actor, that contributes to the normalization of civilian harm.
   3. We believe that the protection of civilian life is a universal principle, not a selective standard. Unchecked, these patterns risk setting precedents that may extend far beyond any single country or conflict, with implications for global stability, humanitarian norms, and the future of warfare itself.