APD | Iran to file lawsuits against Trump for Soleimani assassination: official

By APD writer Muhammad Sohail

Iran’s Judiciary spokesperson said on Tuesday that the country has decided to file lawsuits against U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S. government for the assassination of its Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq earlier this month, local media reported.

Gholamhossein Esmaeili held a press conference and said, “We intend to file lawsuits in the Islamic Republic, Iraq and The Hauge Court (International Court of Justice) against the military and government of America and against Trump.”

“There is no doubt that the U.S. military has done an act assassinating Guards Commander Lt. Gen. Soleimani and Second-in-Command of Iraq Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis... and Trump has confessed doing the crime,” said the official, adding that the firmest reason for accusing an individual is his confession.

“We will initially file a lawsuit in Iran, which is legal under the Islamic Penal Code. Then we will do the same in Iraq and The Hague Court against Trump and the U.S. military,” he said.

Soleimani and al-Muhandis along with eight others were assassinated at Baghdad’s International Airport on January 3, 2020 with a U.S. strike.

In the early hours of January 8, Iran attacked the U.S. airbase of Ain al-Assad in Anbar province in western Iraq as what they say revenge against the assassination.

In his Tuesday remarks, Esmaeili said the next step in Iran’s strategy would be to end the illegitimate presence of the Americans in the region.

“Their presence is creating crises in the region and in Iran and their main plan and plot is to wage a soft war and create a media frenzy,” he added.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)