Key Takeaways:
- A group of Iranian victims have filed a criminal complaint against 40 Iranian officials for crimes against humanity, including targeted blinding and murder, during the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom protests.
- The complaint was filed in Argentina, which has a liberal approach to universal jurisdiction claims, allowing for investigations to be launched in a third country even if the offense did not occur there.
- The victims, including Mahsa Piraei, Kowsar Eftekhari, and Mersedeh Shahinkar, are seeking accountability and truth, rather than revenge or financial compensation.
- The complaint alleges that Iranian security forces used excessive force, including live ammunition, paintball guns, and metal pellets, against protesters, resulting in serious injuries and deaths.
- The case is not the first against Iranian officials in Argentina, with a previous case in 2025 ordering in absentia trials against Iranian suspects for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
Introduction to the Complaint
The Iranian government’s crackdown on the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom protests has led to a significant development, with a group of victims filing a criminal complaint against 40 named Iranian officials. The complaint, filed in Argentina, alleges crimes against humanity, including targeted blinding and murder. The victims, with the help of the non-profit Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, are seeking a criminal investigation to be launched against the Iranian officials. The complaint claims that the response from Iran’s security forces to the protests included the use of excessive force, resulting in serious injuries and deaths.
The Victims’ Stories
One of the victims, Mahsa Piraei, lost her mother, Minoo Majidi, who was shot dead in September 2022. Autopsy reports showed that Majidi had been shot with over 167 metal pellets at point-blank range. Piraei, who lives in the UK, returned to Iran to visit her mother’s grave, despite the risks. Her sister, Roya, was forced to seek exile in Turkey after a photograph of her shaved head, posted on social media, went viral. Piraei stated that the aim of the complaint is to preserve evidence, name crimes, and prevent erasure. She emphasized that her mother’s death was not an isolated incident, but part of a systematic practice of reckless and knowing disregard for human life by the security services.
The Use of Excessive Force
The complaint alleges that Iranian security forces used a range of weapons, including live ammunition, paintball guns, and metal pellets, against protesters. Kowsar Eftekhari, a 23-year-old university student, was shot in the right eye with paintballs at close range. She was eventually given asylum in Germany. Mersedeh Shahinkar, 38, was also shot in the eye with paintballs and was forced to flee Iran after plainclothes officers approached her. The complaint claims that the use of these weapons resulted in serious injuries and deaths, and that the security services showed a reckless and knowing disregard for human life.
The Principle of Universal Jurisdiction
The complaint was filed in Argentina, which has a liberal approach to universal jurisdiction claims. This principle allows for complaints to be investigated in a third country, even if the offense did not occur there and the offender is not present. Argentina has a strong track record of prosecuting cases under universal jurisdiction, with 27 convictions and 36 cases opened in 2014 alone. The complaint is not a civil lawsuit, and the victims are not seeking financial compensation. Instead, they are seeking a criminal investigation and accountability for the crimes committed against them.
Previous Cases Against Iranian Officials
The complaint is not the first case against Iranian officials in Argentina. In 2025, an Argentinian judge ordered in absentia trials to begin against seven Iranian suspects, along with three Lebanese individuals, for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. The case resulted in the deaths of 85 people and injured hundreds. The current complaint is a significant development in the pursuit of accountability for human rights abuses committed by Iranian officials.
Conclusion
The filing of the complaint against Iranian officials is a significant step towards seeking accountability for the crimes committed during the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom protests. The victims, with the help of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, are seeking a criminal investigation and truth, rather than revenge or financial compensation. The principle of universal jurisdiction allows for complaints to be investigated in a third country, and Argentina’s liberal approach to these claims provides a glimmer of hope for the victims. The case is a reminder that those responsible for human rights abuses will be held accountable, and that the pursuit of justice and truth will continue, no matter the obstacles.
