In a letter penned to the UN Secretary General António Guterres and world’s Parliament speakers on Monday, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reiterated that assassination of former IRGC Quds Force Commander Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani is a clear example of organized state terrorism, vivid violation of independence and national sovereignty of Iraq and also violation of sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In this letter addressed to the UN secretary general, world’s parliament speakers, Association of Secretaries General of Asian and Islamic Parliaments on the occasion of 1st martyrdom anniversary of martyr Lt. Gen. Soleimani, Ghalibaf strongly condemned the heinous act committed by US and emphasized efforts of parliaments in the world and international community in the fight against terrorism.
Text of the letter is read as follows,
As you know, the US government committed a heinous crime in assassination of Iran’s top commander Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and his comrades in an civilian area at Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020 in an organized terrorist move.
The visit of martyr General Qassem Soleimani to Iraq took place at the official invitation of Iraqi government and in line with continuation of advisory assistance of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of fighting against terrorism (ISIL terrorist group) in Iraq. After being officially welcomed, martyr Gen. Soleimani was targeted by a US missile attack near Baghdad International Airport.
The senior military official of Islamic Republic of Iran, as the highest military adviser, played a very key and important role in the fight against terrorism in recent years along with the Armed Forces and government of Iraq. While strongly condemning the US government, this blatant terrorist attack took place in a situation where there was no state of war between Tehran and Washington.
From perspective of the international law, visit of senior military official of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of Iraq was aimed at helping restoration of peace and stability of the region and fight against terrorism and did not pose any serious and immediate threat to the US government.
You are expected to act responsibly, given the role of parliaments and international community in promoting global peace and stability and the fight against terrorism, especially state terrorism and to provide the legal framework to prevent repeat of such heinous terrorist crimes.
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