November Court Emphasizes Necessity of Trial for 13 High-Ranking Iranian Officials Accused of Crimes Against Humanity
The panel of judges at the November International Court formally declared on Friday, September 30, that the actions taken by Iranian officials during the violent suppression of November 2019 protests constitute “crimes against humanity.”
Based on the court’s ruling, which was read at the court’s premises in London on Friday, out of 160 officials of the Islamic Republic who had been accused of “crimes against humanity,” the trial of 13 of these individuals is necessary.
Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Republic; Hassan Rouhani, former President of Iran; Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the National Security Council; Ebrahim Raisi, former Head of the Judiciary; Abdolrahman Rahmani Fazli, former Interior Minister; Hussein Ashtari, Commander-in-Chief of Law Enforcement; Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps; Gholamhossein Soleimani, Head of the Basij Organization; Hassan Karami, Commander of Special Units of Police; Habibollah Jannati, Deputy Commander of Special Units of Police; Leila Vathiqi, former Governor of Qods City; Abdolkarim Garavand, Governor of Bushehr; and Mohammad Mahmoudabadi, Governor of Sirjan, are these 13 individuals.
The November International People’s Court session to investigate the “crimes” of the Iranian government during November 2019 was held in London in cooperation with three organizations: “Iran Human Rights,” “Justice for Iran,” and “Together Against Executions.”
At this court, the names of 160 senior and provincial officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Republic, were released as accused in the November 2019 massacre.
Based on documents and evidence submitted to this court by 440 individuals, of whom testimonies from 219 were collected and verified, the prosecution of the November International People’s Court accused these 160 individuals of committing “crimes against humanity” during the November 2019 protests.
The panel of judges of the November International Court declared in this session that based on evidence and documentation, acts such as murder, detention, forced disappearance, torture, and harassment of protesters were undoubtedly proven during the suppression of November protests. In November 2019, civilians came under widespread and systematic attack by the government. The Islamic Republic government killed citizens in 20 out of 31 provinces in Iran; at least 7,000 people were arrested and tortured in 28 provinces. Over 300 people, which could reach 1,500, were killed.
The November 2019 protests, which initially were a reaction to the sudden increase in gasoline prices, quickly changed direction and targeted the Islamic Republic government. However, these protests were met with severe repression, resulting in hundreds of deaths.
The exact number of those killed in these crackdowns is unknown, but Reuters news agency, while announcing that at least 1,500 people were killed in the November 2019 protests, quoted “three sources close to Khamenei’s inner circle” and “a fourth official” as saying that the Leader of the Islamic Republic had told senior officials of the country to “do whatever is necessary to stop” the protests.
Source: Radio Farda
