Imprisonment and Flogging for 15 Attackers of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran

Approximately a year after the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, three of the 45 attackers were sentenced to six months of imprisonment and 70 lashes, while 12 others received 91 days of "suspended imprisonment." The judge acquitted all 20 attackers of the charge of "intentional destruction of the Saudi embassy." According to the lawyer for a group of these attackers, "all 20 defendants are Basij members with a history of service in the front lines and even in Syria." The special court for government employees issued rulings for 20 of these attackers, of which five were also acquitted of the charges. Mustafa Shabani, the lawyer for a group of these attackers, announced the details of his clients' rulings on Wednesday, November 3, in an interview with the Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, stating that the court acquitted all 20 attackers of the charge of "intentional destruction of the Saudi embassy." He added that regarding the "disruption of public order" charge, the court sentenced several individuals to six months in prison and others to 91 days. According to Mr. Shabani, one of his clients, named "M. A," who is referred to as one of the leaders of the attack on the Saudi embassy, was sentenced to six months of imprisonment. This lawyer further stated, "All defendants in the court session also mentioned that there was no obstruction from the police for their protest" and "we will definitely appeal the rulings issued because I do not believe my clients deserve this verdict." Meanwhile, "H. M," one of the defendants in this case, also reported to the Tasnim news agency about the issuance of rulings by the special court for government employees for these 20 attackers. According to him, three of the defendants in this case received six months of imprisonment and 70 lashes, while the remaining 12 received 91 days of suspended imprisonment, and five others were acquitted of charges, stating that "we will appeal the ruling within the specified time according to the law." Following the attack by a group of Hezbollah forces on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad in January 2016, which led to the severing of diplomatic relations between the two countries, judicial authorities announced the issuance of indictments for 45 individuals in this regard. The case of 20 of these attackers was reviewed in the special court for government employees, while 25 others were examined in the special clerical court. According to Tasnim news agency, "the ruling section of the special clerical court for this case has also been issued," but details have not yet been published. In recent years, Iran and Saudi Arabia have had tense relations over regional issues, especially regarding Syria and Yemen, and this tension peaked after the execution of Sheikh Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, followed by the attack of protesters on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. The attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran at that time was condemned in the strongest possible terms by the Secretary-General of the Arab League, and within Iran, the Revolutionary Guards, Hassan Rouhani, and Ali Khamenei condemned this action. In the years following the 1979 revolution, forces known as Hezbollah attacked foreign embassies in Tehran two more times, both resulting in the severance of relations. In November 1979, students known as "followers of Imam's line" seized the US embassy in Tehran and took its staff hostage, leading to the severance of diplomatic relations between the United States and Iran. In 2011, a group of "Basij students" attacked the British embassy in Tehran, which also resulted in the severance of relations between Iran and Britain. The British embassy in Tehran has recently reopened.