Judicial System’s Actions in the Assassination Case of General Soleimani

Accordingly, during three court sessions in 1402, the US government and forty-one additional US citizens and legal entities were ordered to pay 49 billion and 770 million dollars in compensation for the crimes committed during General Hajj Qasem Soleimani's martyrdom. The US government's charges in this assassination are currently being investigated by First Branch of the Tehran Province Criminal Court.

A unique case was initiated in the court system on the directives of the then-head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raise in the early days following General Hajj Qasem Soleimani's martyrdom.

On the directive of the head of the judiciary, advisory and judicial committees were established to investigate the case's aspects both domestically and internationally after it was opened in the Tehran Prosecutor's Office.

A special investigator was also appointed for this case in the Special International Prosecutor's Office of Tehran in order to investigate and collect evidence and documents. Hundreds of correspondences were conducted with security and diplomatic institutions in order to conduct investigations and also to seek opinions for issuing a final decision and indictment based on international law, and legal representation was granted to 6 countries: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, Jordan, and Kuwait to pursue the matter.

Based on this report; Following the lawsuits of 3,318 compatriots from all over the country, the court hearing the case of claiming material, moral, and punitive damages resulting from the martyrdom of General Hajj Qassem Soleimani was heard in Branch 55 of the Tehran General and Legal Court (Special Branch for International Claims) headed by Judge Hosseinzadeh, and after holding 3 public hearings, on December 15, the court issued a verdict condemning the US government in this case.

The US government's conviction

Based on the verdict of this court and after reviewing the available documents, the US government and 41 other individuals and legal entities in the United States were sentenced to pay 49 billion and 770 million dollars for the crimes committed in the martyrdom of General Hajj Qasem Soleimani.

Also, considering the law on the jurisdiction of the courts of justice of the Islamic Republic of Iran to hear civil lawsuits against foreign governments in order to punish the behavior of the plaintiffs and prevent its repetition in the future, because their action in martyring General Hajj Qasem Soleimani is a clear example of human rights violations, the court ordered the payment of punitive damages in a joint and several manner in the amount of 2 times the material and moral damages incurred in the amount of 10 million dollars for each of the plaintiffs in the case, for a total of 33 billion and 180 million dollars.

The court also sentenced the US government and other plaintiffs in the case to issue an official apology to the plaintiffs and to publish it in a widely circulated newspaper.

Criminal investigation

In this regard, criminal investigation into the assassination case of General Hajj Qasem Soleimani was also placed on the agenda of the judiciary.

Accordingly, the first trial to investigate the case of the commanders and perpetrators of the assassination of General Hajj Qasem Soleimani was held on September 7, in the First Criminal Branch, presided over by Judge Javaheri.

So far, 4 sessions of this trial have been held and, based on the indictment issued, the following issues were clarified: violation of immunity and the principles of violation of international law in the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani and his companions, the inconsistency of the US action in the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani with international principles, the principles of jurisdiction of Iranian courts and effective laws approved by the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the judicial measures taken in this case, the US hostile actions against the Iranian people in the contemporary era; before and after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, such as the coup d'état of August 19, 1953 by the CIA, support for terrorist groups, and dozens of anti-Iranian actions by the US government.

The indictment also examined the personality, biography, position, performance and work history of the martyred General Hajj Qassem Soleimani and his actions in the field of jihad and struggle, including the fight against the aggressor and war criminal regime of Saddam during the eight years of sacred defense, the fight against terrorist groups and gangs of criminals and drugs in order to spread peace and security in the region, the fight against the Zionist regime occupying Jerusalem, and the fight against the international terrorist group ISIS.

Currently, the investigation of this case is ongoing in the First Branch of the Criminal Court of Tehran Province.

The judiciary considers itself obligated to pursue the rights of the Iranian nation and citizens around the world, and accordingly, it will pursue this case until the trial and punishment of the terrorist-sponsoring and criminal US government and its leaders who ordered this cowardly assassination.