Second Session of ‘International People’s Court of November’ to Be Held; Letters Sent to 160 Defendants to Present Their Defense in Court

Three months after the first session of the International People’s Court of November 1398 was held in London, the second session of this court is scheduled to be held in London to “determine the nature of crimes committed” during the November protests two years ago in Iran and to “hold the officials responsible.”

According to the public relations report of the International People’s Court of November, the court is scheduled to be held from Friday, February 4, for three days in closed session with dozens of new witnesses in London, Britain.

Based on information available to Voice of America, the prosecution team, after reviewing documents submitted by new witnesses, has charged 27 additional Islamic Republic officials with crimes against humanity in connection with the suppression of the November 1398 protests. During the second round of this court, this information is scheduled to be made available to the court judges.

Previously, Voice of America, which had provided live coverage of the first session of the November People’s Court, reported that the prosecution team in the first round introduced 133 Islamic Republic officials as defendants to the court judges. As a result, according to the public relations report of the International People’s Court of November, the number of defendants in this case has increased to 160 officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

It is said that Hamid Sabi and Regina Paulose, two members of the prosecution team of this court, have separately sent letters to 160 defendants in the case and asked them to appear to present their defense in the second round of this court.

On the other hand, according to the public relations report of the International People’s Court of November, the list of 160 individuals was also sent on December 19, 1399, in a letter to Mohsen Baharvand, the Islamic Republic’s ambassador in London. In this letter, the prosecution team has asked this Islamic Republic official in London to inform the 160 defendants named by the prosecution about the charges against them and their right to defense in court.

The International People’s Court of November was established at the initiative of three organizations: “Justice for Iran,” “Iran Human Rights,” and the international organization “Together Against Death Penalty” in response to the demands of families of victims and survivors of the suppression of nationwide November 1398 protests. In the first session of this court, held from November 10-14, 1421, in London, 34 eyewitnesses and six document experts presented their evidence to the court both online and in person, and written testimony from 131 eyewitnesses was also made available to the judges of this court.

According to the public relations of the International People’s Court of November, the final verdict of the International People’s Court of November is expected to be announced in late spring 1401.

It should be noted that during the first session of the November People’s Court, one of the influential representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly implicitly confessed to the killing of protesters. Hassan Norouzi said: “I was one of those who shot at people, we killed. Now who wants to try us?! The person came and set the bank on fire and we killed him. Who do you want to try?”

The Observers website, which published Norouzi’s remarks, later wrote that he said at the end of his remarks “I was joking” and then ended the call.

Source: Voice of America