Veteran Political Prisoner Demands Trial of Supreme Leader

In a letter written from prison, political prisoner Heshmatollah Tabarzadi asked international courts to review his grievance against Iran’s Supreme Leader, Seyed Ali Khamenei. From Rajaee Shahr Prison, Tabarzadi called on Iranian lawyers, most of whom are currently in prison, free on bail, or have fled Iran, to make his suit against Iran’s Supreme Leader heard by international courts.

“I ask you, esteemed lawyers, to enable me to seek partial compensation for my material and non-material damages, as I face new illegal and cruel charges in prison, so that I may find justice in international courts,” he states.

“I formally submit my case against Mr. Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to international courts and ask you, esteemed lawyers and any other emancipated individuals to ascertain that this request for justice follows its legal process and is effectively followed through,” writes the veteran Iranian activist.

“I would like to press charges against Mr. Ali Khamenei for all the crimes listed and for compensation for material and non-material damages, in his capacity as the leader of the regime who holds absolute power, above the law, unaccountable, and for lifetime,” states Tabarzadi at the end of a detailed list of Ali Khamenei’s crimes.

“Shutting down all my partisan, organizational, and legal activities through arrest, suppression, and deprivation of my basic rights in this area; putting me under pressure through security forces and creating fear and insecurity for my family through telephone threats or repeated storming of my office and my home; preventing meetings and peaceful protests which are some of the basic rights of every free citizen; preventing my free participation in determining my fate through free elections–these activities have been suppressed under the charges of ‘collusion’ and ‘gatherings with the intent to disrupt national security,” are some of the charges Tabarzadi mentioned in his letter.

Heshmatollah Tabarzadi is a political prisoner who has been sentenced to nine years in prison. He concludes his letter by stating that he has evidence for all his charges and will produce them as soon as international courts are convened.

Some of the lawyers he addressed in his letter are Nasrin Sotoudeh, Shirin Ebadi, Mohammad Oliaifard, Mohammad Mostafaee, Mehrangiz Kar, and Abdolfattah Soltani.