Iran Begins Trial for Suspects in Parliament Attack

  • 4/29/2018
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Iranian judiciary announced the beginning of the first court of 26 suspects belonging to ISIS terrorist organization, which targeted the Iranian parliament and the Mausoleum of the first Supreme Leader Khomeini in June 2017, injuring and killing more than 50 people. Judiciary news website Mizanonline.com said the case involves 26 defendants and eight attended the first hearing Saturday with their lawyers. Charges include being members of a terrorist organization, weapons possession and unauthorized entry into the country. Following the attacks, Iran announced the death of 5 of the attackers, and 17 Iranians, with dozens wounded in the first attack announced by ISIS on Iranian territory. The five attackers were Iranian members of ISIS, and according to the prosecution, a team of four attackers entered Iran mid-February 2017 arriving from Iraq. According to the official account, the attackers were in the city of Kermanshah, west Iran, up until 24 hours before the attack. Among the five defendants, two joined the organization inside Iranian territory. Media outlet agencies published photographs of the families of those killed attending the court sessions. The prosecutor called for the execution of those arrested after their charges of purchasing, carrying and keeping light, semi-heavy and heavy arms and conducting terrorist attack. According to the Iranian news agency, all the defendants were arrested 3 weeks after the attacks and they face the death penalty if the charges against them are proven. Court hearings will resume on Sunday, after a suspect identified indicated he left the country in 2015 and joined ISIS. In 2016, he re-entered to the country wearing a suicide belt and carrying weapons. The prosecutor said some of the detainees had no direct role in the attacks, but were preparing for further attacks. Iranian media quoted the prosecution as saying that the defendants had "pledged allegiance to ISIS", adding they "deserve death penalty." However, the defendants were aware of the plan for the attack on Tehran, the prosecutor said, referring to their confessions. The detainees also face charges of aiding and hiding attackers. Following the attack, Iranian security arrested dozens in the provinces of Kurdistan, Balochistan, Hormozgan and Bushehr, suspected of belonging to ISIS. Later, authorities thwarting announced several attacks.

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