Iranian Leader Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei has directed Iran's Judiciary to pursue legal accountability in domestic and international courts for war crimes committed against the Iranian nation, including the killing of children in Minab and Lamerd, attacks on medical and service centers, and the murder of Martyred Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei, and others during the June 2025 and March 2026 wars.
"The perpetrators of these crimes must be seized and made to answer for them," Sayyed Khamenei said, describing each of these episodes as forming "a case file among hundreds, indeed thousands, of important legal matters that must be pursued with seriousness in domestic and international courts."
The Leader's statement was issued on the occasion of the National Week of the Judiciary and the anniversary of the martyrdom of Ayatollah Beheshti and his companions.
Sayyed Khamenei opened by extending condolences to the Iranian nation and the Islamic Ummah on the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, describing the Husseini uprising as "history's towering peak in the confrontation between truth and falsehood, justice and oppression."
He linked the occasion to the legacy of Ayatollah Beheshti, the senior judicial and revolutionary figure martyred along with 72 others, saying the anniversary "recalls the eminent figure of the Revolution who, while standing at the head of the Judiciary, pursued relentless efforts in this direction" until his martyrdom became, in Sayyed Khamenei's words, "a confirmation of the Husseini character of this system and its architects."
Sayyed Khamenei stressed that the pursuit of rights violated by "the crimes of international criminals, the arrogant powers, and global aggressors" is among the most pressing legal and judicial matters facing the Iranian nation at this juncture.
He pointed to a string of grievances behind the push for prosecution: the killing of children in "unprecedented war crimes" in Minab and Lamerd, attacks on medical and service centers, and the deaths of infants and elderly civilians, alongside the broader physical, psychological, material, and spiritual harm done to Iranians at home and abroad.
Sayyed Khamenei directed that this pursuit build on a previous instruction from Sayyed Ali Khamenei, given last year, regarding crimes committed in the 12-Day War. He instructed that the same scrutiny now be extended to the most recent war and "pursued continuously until a ruling is reached and its execution entrusted to competent parties," adding that doing so would "help prevent the recurrence of such crimes."
The Iranian Leader pointed to statements by US and Israeli officials as material that strengthens the case for prosecution. "The confessions and even the shameless boasting of certain American and Zionist enemy leaders over these crimes amount to an admission of guilt," he said, adding that such statements "laid appropriate groundwork for restoring the nation's violated rights."
Beyond the war crimes file, Sayyed Khamenei set out a broader standard for the Judiciary's role, underscoring its function as safeguarding "the rights of the people," restoring "public rights and legitimate freedoms," combating corruption, administering justice, and overseeing the enforcement of law.
He asserted that the public now expects to see this translated from policy documents into practice, "from the chambers of judicial complexes and courtroom sessions to public spaces and the social sphere."
The Leader set a high bar for what that should look like in practice, saying the Judiciary must reach a point where "every wronged person regards it as their refuge," where "those who hold any form of power do not dare transgress the rights of others," and where "the practice of seeking favors and recommendations is shut off entirely," such that "having connections within any part of it carries no advantage whatsoever."
Sayyed Khamenei extended the scope of justice beyond individual legal cases to collective rights, naming "the right to economic security and fair access to opportunity," "just share of natural resources," "a healthy environment," "legitimate freedoms," and "effective governance" as core to advancing justice for the nation.
He closed by describing the path to justice as a difficult one, made smoother through "sincerity, trust in God," "courage and decisiveness," and "the proper use of new technologies and digitalization," expressing confidence that these goals would be achieved "under the grace of the awaited Imam of Justice."