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A collective of those harmed during the state-led crackdown amid the 2022 "Zan, Zendegi, Azadi" uprising has launched a pioneering judicial filing naming numerous identified Iranian officials of purported human rights violations.

Legal Action Initiated in Argentina

The petition for a judicial probe to be initiated was filed within the Argentinian judicial framework. This move was made by a coalition assisted by a human rights advocacy organization. The Argentinian courts are noted for accommodating international law complaints.

The complaint alleges that the reaction from Iranian authorities to the protests entailed "discharging live ammunition, non-lethal projectiles, harmful pellets designed for close-range use, and various objects at civilians." The document further states arbitrary roundups, abuse while imprisoned, and executions of participants that allegedly carry on to this day.

Confidential Names

Certain agents representing the spectrum of Iran's intelligence apparatus have been named in the legal documents, but their names are currently being withheld from the public.

Individual Accounts Fuel the Legal Action

One of the complainants, residing in the United Kingdom Mahsa Piraei, explained that the aim "is not retribution in a personal sense, but accountability and fact-finding." Her parent, Minoo Majidi, aged 62, was killed by gunfire in late 2022. Medical examinations indicated in excess of 167 harmful shots had been discharged into her back at extremely close proximity. She had been participating in a public demonstration regarding the killing of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who lost her life in custody.

Piraei, one of Majidi's three children, was based abroad at the moment of her mother's tragic killing. She returned to Iran at significant personal danger to pay respects at the burial site. Her sister Roya posted a picture of herself by their resting place with her hair shaved on a restricted social media account. A acquaintance published the photograph, which spread widely, ultimately leading Roya to flee for Turkey.

Piraei added: "By means of legal filings and documentation the goal is to maintain records, catalogue violations and avoid historical oblivion." She described her parent's killing as "systematic in nature but part of a widespread tactic."

Further Claimants Consist of Individuals Who Lost Sight

The other two litigants who have come forward are Kowsar Eftekhari and Mersedeh Shahinkar, both victims of loss of sight at point-blank by marker guns.

Eftekhari, a 23-year-old student, was hit in the face in October 2022. She had been protesting for an extended period, witnessing fellow demonstrators being struck by live ammunition and being struck herself with shock weapons. During a gathering on 12 October, she was at a rally near a university when a undercover agent fired at her with numerous rounds from a distance of about a metre. He then reportedly targeted her eye when she did not obey his order to leave. A footage of the attack with injuries from her eye circulated widely, and she was later offered protection in Germany.

Shahinkar, 38 at the time when assaulted on 18 October, only became aware what had happened when she felt something unusual on her face. Fellow individuals warned her not to get into an ambulance for fear of being taken to a detention center. When she finally arrived at a health center, a worker told her to leave because they would not treat demonstrators. A medical professional saw her and sent her to a medical center, where Shahinkar pretended a rock had unintentionally damaged her eye so she would not be refused care. She published details of her condition online, and in the new year, individuals approached her, causing her to leave the country. She later was awarded a notable human rights prize as a figure of the protest cause.

Global Legal Concept Provides Basis for Action

The individuals seeking the inquiry state that the filing is not seen just as a symbolic gesture with slim prospect of a tangible resolution. Universal jurisdiction allows complaints to be examined in a third country even if the violation did not take place in that jurisdiction and the offender is not present there. The Argentinian system has some of the most liberal laws on such matters in the world.

The concept of universal jurisdiction has previously resulted in dozens of convictions and the opening of cases involving violations committed in many countries. Cases are currently being handled in several different countries.

As the petition is solely for a judicial probe, and this is not a civil lawsuit, there is no claim by the complainants for financial restitution. This case would not be the first instance against Iranian authorities brought in Argentina.