Indictment Issued for 11 Suspects in Shah Cheragh Shrine Attack

An indictment has been issued for 11 detainees related to the attack on the Shah Cheragh shrine in August 2023 at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Shiraz. An Iranian judicial official stated on Sunday, November 4, that the suspects in this case were the 'core of ISIS in Iran' who were arrested last year. The Chief Justice of Fars Province claimed that all the detainees are 'known members of ISIS' and have participated in the Syrian war. According to him, during interrogations, information about a 'terrorist operation in one of the neighboring countries' was also gathered from the suspects. According to Sadrollah Rajai Nasab, the arrest of other individuals related to the case was made possible through 'very long and confidential interrogations.' Previously, the Chief Justice of Fars Province had announced in September last year that the primary suspect in this case had been sentenced to death twice. Kazem Mousavi stated that Rahmatollah Noorozaf, known as 'Mostafa Aslamyar' from Tajikistan, faces charges of 'moharebeh' (waging war against God), 'baghi' (rebellion), and 'conspiracy against national security' due to the armed attack on the Shah Cheragh shrine and has been sentenced to death twice. The second and third suspects were acquitted of complicity in 'moharebeh and corruption on earth' due to 'unawareness of the main perpetrator's intent' and were each sentenced to five years of imprisonment and expulsion from the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Shah Cheragh shrine had previously been targeted in armed attacks in 2022 and 2023. On October 26, 2022, an attack on this shrine resulted in at least 13 deaths and 20 injuries, with ISIS claiming responsibility for the attack. Iranian media also reported another armed attack on this site on August 13, 2023, which resulted in 'four deaths' and at least 'seven injuries.' The judiciary of the Islamic Republic filed charges on July 17 last year against individuals who discussed the 'explosion at the Shah Cheragh shrine' on social media. The Islamic Republic of Iran typically does not provide timely and transparent information about such incidents, which fuels rumors.