Interpol’s own rules would not permit it to act on an Iranian request to arrest US President Donald Trump for the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, the international police cooperation (INTERPOL) body said.
Tehran on Monday has announced that it will seek the arrest of 36 people in a link with the US assassination of General Soleimani in January. The request for assistance will be sent to Interpol, Tehran’s prosecutor-general said, adding that President Trump tops the list of the suspect.
The Lyon-based organization told RIA Novosti if it receives an application to arrest Trump, its own rules will not allow it to act on it. Interpol acts as a liaison between law enforcement organizations in member states, helping them to collaborate with each other in solving crimes and arresting suspects trying to flee justice in a different jurisdiction.
Interpol maintains political neutrality and is barred by its charter from getting involved in activities of a political, military, religious, or racial nature, a spokesperson for the organization said.
Soleimani, the commander of the elite Quds Force, was killed in a US airstrike when he was visiting Iraq. Washington said the killing was justified by the general’s planning of attacks against American soldiers. Tehran considers it an act of state terrorism.
Earlier Iran issues arrest warrant for Trump over Soleimani killing
Iran has identified 36 people involved in the US assassination of General Qassem Soleimani and will seek their arrest through Interpol channels, the list of suspects is topped by President Donald Trump.
The names of the suspects in the high-profile murder of Iran’s elite Quds Force commander have been relayed to Interpol by Tehran’s chief prosecutor Ali Alghasi-Mehr, Iranian media said on Monday. The official called the killing a “murder” and a “terrorist act.”
President Donald Trump is at the top of the list, and his prosecution will be pursued even after his term is over.
Soleimani was killed on January 3 during a visit to Iraq, when his car was hit by a US airstrike. The Trump government defended the attack, which also killed a renowned Iraqi commander and several other people, saying the Iranian general was plotting attacks on US soldiers.
The popular general received a hero’s funeral in Iran, with millions taking to the streets on the days of the ceremony. Soleimani is credited with organizing and supporting Shiite militias, which fought against the terrorist group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) in Iraq and Syria. He was also considered to be a key figure in Tehran’s confrontation with US influence in the Middle East.
The assassination leads to a surge in hostility toward the US in Iraq. Its parliament even voted to have all foreign troops removed from Iraqi territory. The instruction is yet to be implemented by the Iraqi government, however.
Trump ordered the assassination of Soleimani amid a period of increased tension in Iraq. The situation escalated after several attacks on bases hosting US forces and those held by Iran-backed Iraqi militias in what appeared to be a cycle of tit-for-tat retaliation.
Days before the killing of Soleimani the US embassy in Baghdad was ransacked by a crowd of protesters, who stopped short of attacking the staff of the diplomatic mission.