Shirin Ebadi: The bloody suppression of the November protests should be pursued by international authorities as soon as possible
Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, says on the first anniversary of the popular protests in November 2019 that the perpetrators and perpetrators of the bloody repression of protesters should be prosecuted through international institutions.
In an exclusive interview with Voice of America's Persian service recently, Ms. Ebadi said about the suppression of the November 2019 protests that this level of violence in Iran was unprecedented and that this incident, as well as its perpetrators and agents, should not be forgotten.
According to Ms. Ebadi, despite the insistence of Iranian civil society and international organizations, the authorities of the Islamic Republic have not even been willing to announce the number and names of protesters who were killed and arrested in these protests; protesters who had taken to the streets in a peaceful movement and whose demand was bread and work, but were instead imprisoned and hanged.
The Iranian lawyer believes that the families of the victims can seek justice through international human rights institutions, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. “Global justice has gained a broader meaning in the past ten years, and if someone commits a crime against humanity, they can be prosecuted in many countries,” he told VOA.
According to Ms. Ebadi, the most important issue is preserving the evidence and documentation of the crime. She said that by preserving this evidence by the families of the victims, it is hoped that those who ordered the shootings will be prosecuted in other countries with sufficient evidence and documentation.
This Iranian lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize winner told VOA about the lawsuit filed by the families of those killed in the protests that in the current situation in Iran, and until the constitution is changed, a lawsuit is not possible at all. According to Ms. Ebadi, in a country like Iran that suffers from tyranny and where the leader has complete control over everything, how is it possible for the judiciary to administer justice and try those who took to the streets with the leader's permission and direction to kill protesters?
It has been a year since the bloody suppression of popular protests in November 2019; the protests that began on Friday, November 14, with the sudden announcement of a gasoline price increase in various cities in Iran, turned into one of the bloodiest protests in recent years in Iran with the severe repression and direct shooting of protesters by security forces.
Shortly after the protests, Reuters reported that at least 1,500 protesters were shot dead by the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Iranian government also arrested a large number of protesters and sentenced dozens of Iranian citizens, including Amir Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi, and Mohammad Rajabi, to long prison terms or death sentences.
On the eve of the anniversary of the November 2019 protests, VOA spoke with some of the families of those who lost their lives in the protests. A year after the deaths of their loved ones, some of these families still demanded that the perpetrators and those who ordered and caused the deaths of their loved ones be investigated and found. Others believe that filing a complaint will not get anything done, and that none of the officials have been held accountable in the past year.
In June of this year, more than 6 months after the November 2019 protests, Islamic Republic officials announced for the first time that the death toll from these protests was around 225 people; a figure that is in stark contradiction with international statistics.
Amnesty International also announced the death toll from these protests at 304 and reported that, according to evidence, at least 23 children were killed by security forces during the nationwide protests in November 2019.
On the last day of November, as protests continued in Iran, President Trump protested the Iranian regime's internet shutdown, saying they wanted the world to remain unaware of the deaths and tragedies caused by the Iranian regime.
The White House also issued a statement in support of the protesting people in Iran, emphasizing that the United States condemns the use of deadly force and severe restrictions on communications against demonstrators.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also wrote to the Iranian people: "The United States stands with you."
Source: Voice of America
