In a Letter to IFLA: Protest Against the Destruction of Iranian Libraries in War
The Secretary-General of the Public Libraries Institution of Iran, in a letter to the President of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), announced the complete destruction of two libraries and damage to 62 other centers in military attacks. He described this act as a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and called for a clear condemnation and a demand for the global community to protect cultural infrastructure.
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, citing the Public Relations and International Affairs Department of the Public Libraries Institution of Iran, following recent military attacks by the United States and the Israeli regime on cultural and public centers in Iran, Azadeh Nazarbala, the Secretary-General of the Public Libraries Institution, sent an official letter to Leslie Weir, President of IFLA, expressing the strong protest of Iran’s library community and calling for a decisive response from the international body.
In the letter, which provides documented statistics of damages up to April 18, 2026, damage to 62 public libraries has been reported, among which the public libraries of “Seyyed al-Shohada (AS) Hosseiniyeh A‘zam Zanjan” and “Dehloran Border Regiment Library, Ilam” have been completely destroyed.
Nazarbala further described these attacks as a clear violation of the principles of international humanitarian law and global obligations, particularly the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
She emphasized that public libraries, as “fundamental cultural, educational, and social infrastructures,” play a vital role in the development of societies, and that attacks on them are “not merely the destruction of a physical space, but a blow to part of the cultural heritage and knowledge capacity of society.”
In another part of the letter, specific requests addressed to the global library federation were highlighted. The Public Libraries Institution called on IFLA to go beyond general statements and “explicitly condemn” the act, and, within its international responsibilities, take an “appropriate and responsible” stance. Iran also expects IFLA, using its reputable position, to call on the global community and international organizations to adhere to their obligations to protect cultural and educational centers under all circumstances.
The letter concludes by emphasizing the institution’s firm commitment to continuing services and the immediate reconstruction of damaged libraries, relying on the capacity of the country’s cultural community and librarians, and calls on IFLA to be the strong international voice of Iran’s affected libraries.
