The Iran Atrocities Tribunal, an independent international people's tribunal investigating the brutal clampdown on Iran's November 2019 protests, has indicted 160 Iranian officials with crimes against humanity, based on the evidence of 440 (219 verified) witnesses.
At the top of the list of the accused are the Islamic Republic's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, former president Hassan Rouhani, Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani, and current president/ex-judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi.
Iran has criticized and raised "serious objections" to the UK for allowing this tribunal to run, calling it "anti-Iranian" and a "theatrical show", and describing the British government's action "unwise and hostile".
During a press conference in Iran on Monday, the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said:
"We are not going to enter these theatrical games, and it is important for British officials to know that they have turned London into a hub for actions against the people of Iran."
Iran's atrocities tribunal, also known as the Aban (November) Tribunal, was established by human rights NGOs on behalf of the victims' families and the survivors. The tribunal conducted five days of public hearings in London in November 2021, on the anniversary of Iran's 2019 "Bloody November" protests.
On Sunday, after three days of witness testimonies, the Aban Tribunal concluded its second and final round of hearings, which were held behind closed doors with only a few journalists attending in order to protect the security of witnesses.
Among the witnesses who testified included families of victims, protesters, hospital staff, former detainees, and even ex-members of the Basij, Revolutionary Guards and police.
The tribunal is expecting to reach a conclusion and announce its final judgement in May. Although the verdicts will be symbolic, the organizers have reportedly sent a file to the International Criminal Court and have called for international sanctions against the accused.
According to a report by Reuters, around 1,500 civilians were killed during the crackdown on Iran's protests in 2019. Amnesty International has reported the killing of at least 304 protesters by the Iranian regime's security forces in November 2019, among whom include at least 23 children.
