First Trial Session of the Accused in the 2017 ISIS Attacks in Tehran Held

The first session to address the charges against eight defendants in the attack on the Iranian Parliament and the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini on June 17, 2017, was held on Saturday, April 27, in the Revolutionary Court of Tehran. According to the judiciary-affiliated news agency Mizan, the reading of the indictment for the eight members of this group was completed during Saturday's court session. Judge Abolqasem Salavati stated that this case has 26 defendants, and the indictments for the remaining members will be read in future sessions. He also mentioned that on Sunday, the charges against the first defendant will be 'reviewed' in court. The Parliament building and the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran were targeted in two simultaneous attacks on June 17, 2017, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility shortly thereafter. In this attack, 17 people were killed, and over 50 were injured. Iranian security and judicial officials reported the arrest of dozens of individuals suspected of links to ISIS in various regions of Iran following the attack. Mizan reported that all defendants present in this court were arrested between June 17 and July 24, 2017. At the time of the incident, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence announced the names of the attackers killed in these attacks as Ramin, Qayoom, Fereydoun, Abu Jihad, and Saryas, without mentioning their last names. Although some websites and the Fars news agency reported that one of the individuals named Saryas had a Facebook page and his full name is Saryas Sadeghi. Iranian security sources also reported the arrest of an Iranian woman who allegedly played a role in 'guiding' the attackers of the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini. However, security officials have not disclosed the name or status of this person. Meanwhile, the prosecutor's representative stated that four members of this group had been in Iraq and entered Iran in February 2017. According to the prosecutor's representative, three of these individuals, along with two others, attacked the Parliament and the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini. Charges against these eight individuals include 'membership in ISIS,' 'trafficking in ammunition and military weapons,' 'forgery of documents and identification,' and 'possession and carrying of military weapons,' and they are also accused of 'corruption on earth,' which could result in the death penalty. The report published by Mizan disclosed the initials of some of the defendants in this case, indicating that 'S.M.' is the first defendant, 'R.B.' is the second defendant, 'M.M.' is the fourth defendant, 'S.A.' is the fifth defendant, and 'A.B.' is the eighth defendant in the case. Iranian officials have reported the arrest of dozens of individuals from armed groups before and after the attacks on the Parliament and the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini, claiming these individuals were affiliated with ISIS. In response to the Tehran attack, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on June 18, 2017, that it targeted one of the Islamic State's centers in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, with its missiles in retaliation for the Tehran attacks. The number of missiles fired was reported to be six, and the IRGC deemed this operation 'successful,' although the Israeli military officials stated that only two of the fired missiles hit the intended targets.