Accused of the Attack on the Saudi Embassy: 'We Regret It Because We Hurt the Leader's Heart'

Several defendants in the attack on the Saudi Arabian embassy introduced themselves as forces of 'Hezbollah' and 'Defenders of the Shrine' in the first court session, and while admitting to the charge of gathering, they denied the charges of entering the embassy and setting it on fire. The first trial session for 21 defendants in the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran was held on Tuesday, July 18, at Branch 1060 of the Government Employees Judicial Complex, presided over by Judge Farshid Dehghan. According to ISNA news agency, one defendant introduced himself as 25 years old and working in 'clothing,' stating that he read about the gathering in one of the Telegram channels 'affiliated' with the Revolutionary Guard. He denied the charge of entering the Saudi embassy and expressed regret for attending the gathering because 'the heart of the leader (of the Islamic Republic) was broken.' A 19-year-old defendant also admitted to participating in the gathering and throwing stones but denied the charge of setting the embassy on fire. This defendant stated that 'it is not right for Hezbollah youth to be treated this way' and that the 'main culprit' is the police force. Another defendant, a 36-year-old private tutor, claimed that his entry into the embassy was to save Iranians who were burning in the embassy fire. He also expressed regret for 'offending' the leader of the Islamic Republic due to his actions. A 21-year-old defendant also denied the charges of entering the embassy and using a Molotov cocktail, stating that he accepted the charge of stone-throwing during interrogation 'under the influence' of the interrogator. According to ISNA, the lawyer of the sixth defendant stated: 'Those who are being tried here today are soldiers and defenders of the shrine and Hezbollah. The crowd that is not here today has caused the disruption.' He also mentioned that another of his clients, a defendant in this case, is currently 'defending the shrine' in Syria. 'Defending the shrine' is a term used by officials and some Iranian media for participation in the Syrian civil war in support of Bashar al-Assad's government. According to this report, the prosecutor told the lawyer of the sixth defendant that based on the review of the embassy's surveillance cameras, his client was the 'main organizer of the gathering.' According to ISNA, the eighth defendant also stated: 'We were in the 2009 sedition and at the university dormitory, we were beaten too; we pay the price every day to defend the revolution.' In the court session for the defendants of the attack on the Saudi embassy, the prosecutor stated that the charges against the 21 defendants include 'participation in the intentional destruction of Saudi embassy property' or 'disturbing public order through turmoil and illegal gathering' or both charges. The judge also reported that 'five vehicles and many safes of the embassy were set on fire.' Under Iranian law, the penalty for 'disturbing public order' ranges from three months to one year in prison and up to 74 lashes. For the destruction of public property and the destruction of individuals' property, Iranian law also prescribes prison sentences and fines. Following the attack on Saudi diplomatic premises in Tehran and Mashhad last December, which led to the severing of diplomatic relations between the country and Iran, several individuals, including a cleric named Hassan Kord Mihan, were arrested. According to Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesman for the judiciary, the cases of four of the defendants are being reviewed in the Special Clerical Court. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, strongly criticized the 'accusation' of 'Hezbollah' individuals of extremism after this attack, stating that 'just because an issue like the Saudi embassy and the British embassy arises, which is very bad and harmful to the country and Islam, do not use this as an excuse to attack faithful youth.'