Iran, Iraq vow to sue US in domestic, Intl' courts
Iran’s Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raeisi and Head of Iraq’s High Judicial Council Faiq al-Zaydan in a telephone conversation on Saturday vowed to sue the United States in domestic and international courts for the assassination of former IRGC Quds Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and acting commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units, known as Hashd al-Shaabi, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes.
Raeisi told his Iraqi counterpart that the US crime of “monstrous, sorrowful” assassination of the two military commanders was in disregard of all international conventions and laws and Iranian and Iraqi people seriously demand punishment of those involved.
Lieutenant General Soleimani, Al-Mohandes and eight other military men with records of fighting the Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq were assassinated on order by US President Donald Trump.
"The US action was undoubtedly aggressive and against several principles such as the principle of the non-use of force, right to life and the rights entitled to people protected by international law," Iran's judiciary chief said while stressing that Lieutenant Soleimani's assassination was a terrorist act because he was on a diplomatic mission to Iraq.
Raeisi thanked Iraqi people, that country's religious leadership and government officials for condemning the assassination, and called for legal action by both Iran and Iraq.
Iraq’s High Judicial Council head agreed on the legal aspects of the assassination as stated by Raeisi and ensured that Baghdad launched an investigation in early hours after the assassination and continues to follow.
He also said that Iraq was ready to cooperate to follow the case at international courts.
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