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Iran Calls on Iraq to Form a Judicial Case on Soleimani’s Assassination

Qassem Soleimani’s children arrive at their father’s fourth-anniversary ceremony in Tehran (Tasnim)
Qassem Soleimani’s children arrive at their father’s fourth-anniversary ceremony in Tehran (Tasnim)
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Iran Calls on Iraq to Form a Judicial Case on Soleimani’s Assassination

Qassem Soleimani’s children arrive at their father’s fourth-anniversary ceremony in Tehran (Tasnim)
Qassem Soleimani’s children arrive at their father’s fourth-anniversary ceremony in Tehran (Tasnim)

Iran is in contact with Iraq to form legal proceedings to prosecute those accused in the killing of al-Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US strike in Baghdad four years ago.

The head of the Human Rights Committee of the Iranian judiciary, Kazem Gharibabadi, revealed that the Soleimani case has already been pursued in local courts and is trying to be brought to the international level.

The Tasnim Agency, affiliated with the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), quoted Gharibabadi as saying that Iran informed US defendants of their right to appear in court, defend themselves, or designate a lawyer to represent them. The court would appoint one if the suspects did not choose a lawyer.

According to the Iranian official, Tehran is communicating with the Iraqi authorities regarding the Soleimani case. They have urged their counterparts in Baghdad to conclude their investigations swiftly and submit the indictment to the court.

Recently, an Iraqi delegation visited Tehran and assured that their investigations would conclude soon. They indicated their intention to submit a list of indictments to the court, marking the beginning of a judicial process in the two countries.

Over the past two years, Iranian authorities pressured Baghdad to secure recognition of Soleimani’s entry into Iraq on a diplomatic mission before the US drone targeted him.

Last month, the Iranian judiciary demanded the US administration pay compensation of about $50 billion for assassinating the top military officer.

In 2020, Soleimani was assassinated during a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport, ordered by former US President Donald Trump.

At the time, Trump confirmed that the US succeeded in eliminating a top Iranian commander who was plotting “imminent” attacks against US diplomats and military personnel.

Soleimani, who passed away at 62, had a long career within the ranks of the Revolutionary Guard.

Ultimately, he rose to lead the al-Quds Force in the late nineties.

He is credited with a significant role in the expansion of Iranian intelligence and military operations in the Middle East and contributed to building armed groups that fight by proxy, which concerned the US and its allies.

Months before his killing, Soleimani had announced an “asymmetric” war against US forces and their interests in the region.

He said that he would fight that war without direct interference from the Iranian armed forces, referring to armed groups loyal to Iran

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Lebanese Police Try to Evict Hundreds of Displaced from Abandoned Building in Beirut

Lebanese civilians argue with army soldiers as they attempt to evict internally displaced people from an old hotel's premises, at Hamra Street in Beirut, Lebanon, 21 October 2024. (EPA)
Lebanese civilians argue with army soldiers as they attempt to evict internally displaced people from an old hotel's premises, at Hamra Street in Beirut, Lebanon, 21 October 2024. (EPA)
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Lebanese Police Try to Evict Hundreds of Displaced from Abandoned Building in Beirut

Lebanese civilians argue with army soldiers as they attempt to evict internally displaced people from an old hotel's premises, at Hamra Street in Beirut, Lebanon, 21 October 2024. (EPA)
Lebanese civilians argue with army soldiers as they attempt to evict internally displaced people from an old hotel's premises, at Hamra Street in Beirut, Lebanon, 21 October 2024. (EPA)

Lebanese police stormed an abandoned building in Beirut’s commercial district, Hamra, to evict hundreds of displaced by Israel’s war on Hezbollah, who have been squatting there for weeks.

Lebanese authorities have prepared hundreds of shelters to accommodate the displaced. But as their numbers climbed to nearly 20% of the population, or an estimated 1.2 million people, official shelters have not been able to cope.

Tens of thousands had fled their homes since last year. An Israeli escalation last month has driven out an additional hundreds of thousands of people from the south, Bekaa and the southern suburbs of Beirut, many of them often fleeing with nothing more than the clothes they are wearing.

Most of the formal shelters prepared by the government are at full capacity, housing nearly 200,000 people.

Most of the displaced have sought accommodation with relatives and friends around Lebanon. But many have taken to beaches and open spaces, where they set up shelters. With winter approaching, they are seeking a roof over their head.

Scuffles broke out Monday between police and many of the displaced who refused to leave. An ambulance arrived to remove a person who passed out. A woman threatened to jump off the balcony if she was forced to leave, yelling she refused to go to overcrowded government shelters, where there is no space and where she feared diseases.

It was not clear what prompted the sudden eviction. Lebanon’s Interior Ministry said it will not allow trespassing on private property despite the displacement crisis.