A coalition of victims of the government crackdown amid the 2022 demonstrations for "Women, Life, Freedom" has filed a first-of-its-kind criminal complaint naming 4 dozen specified Iranian figures of purported international crimes.
Judicial Move Pursued in the Argentinian System
The formal request for a legal inquiry to be initiated was lodged within the Argentinian courts. This action was made by a coalition assisted by a non-governmental advocacy organization. Argentina's legal framework are noted for accepting international law complaints.
The document claims that the reaction from state security apparatus to the demonstrations included "shooting live ammunition, paintball guns, metal pellets improperly used for close-range use, and other projectiles at civilians." The case further describes arbitrary roundups, custodial torture, and death sentences of participants that reportedly persist to this day.
Officials Named Anonymously
Certain agents across the spectrum of Iran's security services have been identified in the complaint, but their names are currently being maintained under seal.
Victim Testimonies Motivate the Case
One of the litigants, residing in the United Kingdom Mahsa Piraei, explained that the aim "is not retribution in a personal sense, but responsibility and truth." Her mother, Minoo Majidi, 62 years old, was shot dead in September 2022. Forensic analysis showed in excess of 167 steel projectiles had been shot at her posterior at point-blank range. She had been participating in a street protest over the killing of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died in custody.
Piraei, among Majidi's three children, was living abroad at the moment of her parent's brutal death. She returned to Iran at significant personal danger to pay respects at the burial site. Her sibling Roya posted a image of herself by their mother's grave with her hair shaved on a private social media account. A acquaintance shared the photo, which went viral, ultimately forcing Roya to flee for Turkey.
Piraei stated: "Through legal filings and record-keeping the intention is to safeguard proof, name crimes and avoid historical oblivion." She described her mother's death as "not an isolated incident but part of a widespread tactic."
Other Litigants Consist of Victims of Blinding
The remaining litigants who can be identified are Kowsar Eftekhari and Mersedeh Shahinkar, both individuals who suffered eye injuries at close range by marker guns.
Eftekhari, a 23-year-old student, was shot in the right eye in autumn 2022. She had been protesting for an extended period, observing fellow demonstrators being hit by bullets and being struck herself with shock weapons. During a gathering on a day in October, she was at a demonstration near a university when a individual shot her with multiple paintballs from a range of about a yard. He then reportedly targeted her face when she did not comply with his order to leave. A video of the incident showing blood pouring from her eye went viral, and she was subsequently given refuge in Germany.
Shahinkar, in her late thirties when attacked on October 18th, only understood what had happened when she noticed something warm on her eye. Fellow demonstrators advised her not to enter an ambulance for fear of being delivered to a authority holding area. When she eventually arrived at a treatment facility, a employee told her to go away because they refused to assist demonstrators. A medical professional assessed her and sent her to a hospital, where Shahinkar said a stone had unintentionally hurt her vision so she would not be turned away. She shared images of her injuries online, and in early 2023, plainclothes officers confronted her, causing her to flee Iran. She later collected a notable recognition as a figure of the movement.
International Law Principle Provides Basis for Case
The collective seeking the legal probe state that the complaint is not considered just as a legal complaint with slim prospect of a tangible resolution. Universal jurisdiction enables allegations to be examined in a different state even if the offence did not happen in that jurisdiction and the accused is not present there. Argentina has some of the most liberal rules on such cases in the world.
The principle of universal jurisdiction has previously resulted in dozens of sentences and the opening of prosecutions involving violations committed in dozens of nations. Legal actions are presently being handled in several nations worldwide.
As the application is only for a judicial probe, and this is not a civil lawsuit, there is no demand by the complainants for monetary compensation. This case would not constitute the initial legal action against Iranian officials brought in Argentina.
