The ambassador and permanent representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva described the assassination of General Ghasem Soleimani as a barbaric, arbitrary, unjust, and illegal act.

Iran PressEurope: Speaking at the 47th session of the Human Rights Council on Thursday, Esmaeil Baghaei Hamaneh said the assassination of the late General Soleimani, a true defender of human rights and opposition to the occupation ISIL terrorism was an international crime that also threatened international peace and security.

"The negligence of the US government and the personal responsibility of this crime by those involved in this assassination, including the one who ordered this criminal operation, is quite obvious, " Baghaei Hamaneh said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian envoy said, "The Iranian nation and all the people of the region, who owe their liberation from ISIL to the sacrifices of General Soleimani, will never give up seeking justice for that heinous crime."

"Human rights mechanisms and institutions are expected to be aware of this heinous crime and its long-term consequences for the rule of law, human rights, and dignity, and to understand this apparent symbol of lawlessness and insult to the basic right to life," he stated.

Gen Ghasem Soleimani, Late commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, former deputy commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units, and their companions were martyred outside Baghdad International Airport 3 January 2020 on the direct order of the former US President Donald Trump.

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