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A group of individuals affected by the state-led response amid the 2022 "Zan, Zendegi, Azadi" uprising has launched a first-of-its-kind judicial filing targeting 4 dozen named Iranian officials of purported crimes against humanity.

Legal Action Pursued in Argentina

The formal request for a judicial probe to be initiated was filed within the Argentine legal system. This action was undertaken by a group of Iranians assisted by a human rights documentation center. Argentina's legal framework are particularly open to accommodating universal jurisdiction claims.

The document claims that the actions from Iran's security forces to the demonstrations involved "discharging live ammunition, non-lethal projectiles, metal pellets improperly used for short distances, and additional ammunition at civilians." The filing further details widespread detentions, custodial torture, and killings of individuals that allegedly persist to this day.

Identities Withheld

Specific officers representing the various branches of Iran's security services have been identified in the complaint, but their names are currently being kept confidential.

Personal Stories Motivate the Legal Action

One of the litigants, based in Britain Mahsa Piraei, stated that the purpose "is not retribution in a individual way, but accountability and truth." Her parent, Minoo Majidi, 62 years old, was shot dead in the autumn of 2022. Forensic analysis indicated more than 167 steel projectiles had been shot at her posterior at extremely close proximity. She had been participating in a gathering concerning the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who lost her life in custody.

Piraei, among Majidi's three children, was based abroad at the time of her mother's brutal death. She went back to Iran at great risk to pay respects at the burial site. Her sibling Roya posted a image of herself by their parent's burial site with her hair shaved on a private social media account. A contact published the photo, which went viral, ultimately leading Roya to leave for Turkey.

Piraei added: "By means of official complaints and documentation the aim is to safeguard proof, identify offenses and stop the disappearance." She said her parent's killing as "not an isolated incident but part of a systematic practice."

Other Litigants Include Those Shot in the Eye

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

Eftekhari, a 23-year-old student, was hit in the eye in late 2022. She had been in the streets for an extended period, observing fellow demonstrators being shot with lethal fire and being struck herself with shock weapons. During a demonstration on 12 October, she was at a protest near a university when a individual struck her with numerous paintballs from a distance of about a metre. He then is said to have fired at her face when she did not obey his command to leave. A recording of the attack showing blood flowing from her face circulated widely, and she was later given refuge in Germany.

Shahinkar, 38 at the time when injured on 18 October, only understood what had occurred when she felt something unusual on her face. Fellow individuals advised her not to get into an emergency vehicle for fear of being taken to a detention center. When she eventually reached a treatment facility, a worker ordered her to depart because they would not treat demonstrators. A physician examined her and referred her to a hospital, where Shahinkar said a rock had inadvertently hurt her vision so she would not be denied treatment. She published photos of her injuries online, and in the new year, undercover agents approached her, causing her to leave the country. She later received a renowned human rights prize as a figure of the campaign.

Global Legal Concept Offers Foundation for Complaint

The individuals seeking the criminal investigation assert that the case is not viewed just as a legal complaint with little chance of a concrete result. The concept enables complaints to be investigated in a third country even if the violation did not happen in that country and the suspect is not resident there. The Argentinian system has particularly permissive regulations on such matters in the world.

The principle of international justice has historically facilitated dozens of guilty verdicts and the launch of prosecutions covering crimes perpetrated in numerous nations. Cases are currently being pursued in several different countries.

As the application is only for a legal inquiry, and this is not seeking financial compensation, there is no claim by the individuals for monetary compensation. This filing would not represent the initial legal action against Iranian figures brought in Argentina.