Iran determined to pursue US assassination of General Soleimani in international courts: Official

The Iranian vice president for legal affairs says the Islamic Republic is determined to pursue the “cowardly and unlawful” US assassination of Iran’s top general Qassem Soleimani in international courts.

“Iran is determined to seriously pursue this grave crime particularly in the international arena. We believe that every court that fails to condemn this crime will lose its moral and professional competence,” Mohammad Dehqan told a group of Iraqi lawyers and academics in Tehran. 

He hailed efforts by the Iraqi government and judiciary to follow up on the assassination case, and expressed hope these efforts will bear fruits for the two countries.

Dehqan said the West lacked moral authority to act as arbitrator in litigations pertaining to Muslim countries. He added that Iran and Iraq can further expand their legal cooperation and establish a regional court of justice with the help of other Muslim countries to address disputes between themselves and investigate crimes in the region.  

He said the Iranian and Iraqi lawyers are duty-bound to pursue the US government’s “heinous atrocities in the southwest Asia region, particularly during the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Americans’ unwavering and open support for racist and inhumane measures of the infanticidal Israeli regime.”

The official said the US and other arrogant powers are using international legal mechanisms as a tool to advance their agenda.

“While Americans are the pivot of terrorism in our region and the world and the blood of thousands of innocent women and children are on their hands, they [claim to be a defender of human rights] and sanction countries under the pretext of rights violations,” he added.