TEHRAN – A number of Iranian families who have lost loved ones in the fight against terrorists in Iraq and Syria have lodged complaints against the current and former U.S. officials for creating the ISIL terrorist group, a lawyer representing the General Soleimani case announced on Saturday.

Maryam Sakhaei said a 400-page litigation has been handed over to the Judiciary in this regard.

“We have pointed to America’s role in establishing and training terrorists and providing them with weapons,” Sakhaei told a press conference, the Mehr news agency reported. 
 
“We have litigated against all the U.S. presidents who have had a role in terrorism, and against arms manufacturers. We will first follow the case in a domestic court before bringing it before an international one,” she explained.

Mohammadreza Mousavifard, head of the Novin Edalat law firm, told the same press conference that his firm has received numerous requests from families to file complaint against some U.S. officials because of their role in the establishing the ISIL terrorist group. 

After the assassination of General Soleimani by the U.S. in Baghdad on Jan. 3, these requests have increased, he said, adding that right now, 48 families have lodged complaints.

“According to international law, we couldn’t litigate against the U.S. administration, so we decided to file a lawsuit against American officials and Donald Trump on top,” he said. 

The U.S. army assassinated General Soleimani as he was visiting Baghdad to meet former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi.

Mousavifard said international regulations clearly state that no one is allowed to harm an individual who is an official guest of another country, pointing to viewpoints of various lawyers across the world who have condemned the U.S. act as a violation of international law, including remarks by Benjamin B. Ferencz, a former lawyer and Nuremberg war crimes prosecutor.

“We will try to bring U.S. officials to trial in a competent court and hope that head of the Judiciary would facilitate the process,” Mousavifard added.

MJ/PA