TEHRAN – An official in charge of international law department at Judiciary announced on Friday that Tehran and Baghdad are jointly pursuing the dossier of the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani by the U.S. in Baghdad on January 3.

Ali Baqeri said, “We have been pursuing assassination of General Soleimani in different fields, including in legal and retributive areas inside the country. In the international field, a joint attempt by Iran and Iraq is underway.”

Baqeri added that assassination of General Soleimani is certainly a violation of human rights.

“With regards to the U.S. influence on the Western legal bodies, certainly we won’t witness a just performance in case of Iran,” Baqeri predicted. 

On Monday, Baqeri, who serves also as the secretary of the Iranian Judiciary's High Council for Human Rights held a meeting with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Zarif and Baqeri discussed the ways to promote cooperation and coordination between the Judiciary's department for international affairs and the Foreign Ministry.

Protecting the rights of the Iranian expatriates, pursuing the release of the Iranian inmates in other countries, suing U.S. for the assassination of General Soleimani at local and foreign tribunals, as well as coordination in protecting Iran's principles and standards at international circles, including in the sphere of human rights were the main topics between the two officials.

The U.S. troops assassinated General Soleimani, Iran’s top anti-terror commander, and his comrades-in-arms in an airstrike in Baghdad on January 3.

Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the anti-terrorist Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), was also assassinated in the air raid.

Soleimani is recognized internationally as a legendary commander in the battle against terrorist groups, especially Daesh (ISIS). He commanded forces who resisted ISIL which was advancing toward the Iraqi Kurdistan and came close to Baghdad.  

Shortly after Soleimani’s assassination, officials in Tehran and independent generals in the world said the Soleimani assassination amounts to an act of war against Iran.

On January 8, Iran responded to the act by launching a heavy missile attack against a major U.S. air base in Iraq.

In a statement on January 8, the IRGC warned the United States that any more aggression or movement would receive a more “painful and crushing” response.

MJ/PA