TEHRAN- In a statement on Saturday, law professors from the Islamic Azad University’s branches all across Iran vehemently denounced the Zionist regime’s genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Gaza and urged international organizations to assist in putting an end to the conflict.

Pro-Palestine demonstrations were held across Iran on the same day that the statement was released.

The statement urged that the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor hold the Israeli regime accountable for its horrific crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire in the region.

The following is the full text of the statement issued by the law professors of the Islamic Azad University.

We, the law professors of Islamic Azad Universities across the country, hereby; address all The responsible international institutions, "especially the Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly" and all free-thinking thinkers and officials of the world, including legal, political and social officials, "especially justice-seeking prosecutors", justice-seeking lawyers and jurists and philanthropic officials of all nations and the countries of the world at the local, regional and international levels, and based on our humanitarian duty, we assume that while reminding the legal, humane and conscientious mission of all the justice seekers of the world to fight against gross violations of the rules of international humanitarian law and especially the crime of genocide committed in Gaza by the Zionist regime, stress the need to support the oppressed and defenseless people of Gaza through "practical", "effective" and "serious measures", to put an end "to the gross violation of humanitarian rights and the commission of heinous crimes in Gaza and also emphasize the trial and punishment of the heads and commanders of the Israeli regime.

Certainly and without doubt, any action that is taken in the path of stopping, fighting and suppressing international crimes and genocide in Gaza will remain permanent in history and in the mirror of the conscience of nations. And as a legal deterrent, it will be an honor for the entire humanity and in all parts of the world not to repeat such events.

So; In line with this humanitarian mission and in order to realize effective and practical measures, while briefly referring to the fundamental violations of the unbreakable principles of international law and mentioning the heinous crimes committed in Gaza by the occupying Israeli regime, possible and expected measures for follow-up and implementation are recommended.

A; Fundamental violations of the unbreakable principles of international law and heinous crimes committed by the Israeli regime

1-The occupying regime of Israel is a unique regime that ignores the resolutions of international organizations, especially the resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly, and does not adhere to any of the international rules and humanitarian principles. Therefore, it is known as a regime that disrupts international order and security in the eyes of public opinion. The proof of this claim is the adoption of the positions of this regime after the recent issuance of the resolution of the General Assembly, which officially declares that the General Assembly has no legitimacy.

2- We announce to the world that this killing and murder in Gaza, which is being done by the order of the evil Prime Minister of this regime, Netanyahu, is not to protect the Israeli regime, but to maintain the position of this criminal person in power. Therefore, as a main cause of committing crimes in Gaza, this issue should be taken into consideration by all responsible authorities, both political and judicial, including the internal circles of that regime.

3- The Israeli regime, which is considered an "occupying regime" based on the “resolutions of the United Nations, including Resolution 242 dated 1967 of the Security Council and the advisory vote dated July 9, 2004, the International Court of Justice”, from (October 7, 2023. Mehr 15, 1402) has organized and carried out widespread, continuous and targeted attacks against the civilian population of Gaza, with the strategy of committing genocide in Gaza and officially announcing the destruction of the entire people of Gaza, against the legitimate and legal right of the Palestinian people to resist the occupation. So that in three weeks, by violating all the inviolable provisions of international law, especially the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and its additional protocols, more than four thousand children and thousands of innocent men and women were martyred and the Gaza region is still being attacked and besieged by land, air and sea. These genocidal crimes, along with the crimes of Qana, Sabra, Shatila and Deir Yassin, are another stain in the bloody record of this genocidal and child-killing crime.

4- With 75 years of history of occupation, the Zionist regime, supported by America, England and France, in the eyes of the people of the world, has put a civilian population under complete and definite siege in the most severe way and with the "specific intention", which is the "genocide of the people of Gaza", has carried out continuous and widespread attacks on civilian centers, homes, hospitals, mosques, churches and aid centers. As a result of the inaction and inefficiency of the Security Council, even UN-affiliated centers, including UNRWA schools, have come under the most severe attacks. Therefore, the prosecution and trial of the supporters of these crimes should also be pursued, because the share of leaders and people who support and encourage these crimes is not less than the perpetrators and supervisors of those crimes.

5- This regime, "continuing to violate international conventions and the inviolable principles of international law”, has grossly violated, by using "prohibited weapons donated by America, including “phosphorous bombs and cluster bombs" and "attacking civilian centers”, many rules of the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, as well as the basic principles of international humanitarian law, such as the principle of separation, proportionality, necessity, and the prohibition of unnecessary suffering and the prohibition of collective punishment. And in this way this regime has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

6- Refusal of the Zionist regime to create a safe passage for civilians, attacks on health centers and hospitals and ambulances carrying the wounded, and attacks on civilians in general, cutting off water, electricity, fuel and forcing the civilian population to starve, is not only a gross violation of The Geneva conventions (1949) and its additional protocols, but are a violation of the 1954 Hague Convention.

So, "based on the indisputable rules of customary and contractual international law, these actions are examples of heinous international crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes of genocide, which in addition to affecting the universal jurisdiction of all justice-seeking countries of the world, make it necessary to establish a special international criminal court in order to punish the Zionist regime.

b) Because there is no free conscience in the world, in the age known as the "Age of Awareness", facing the crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza and the deplorable situation in that region, which is a clear example of violating international peace and security and violating the rules of international law, to remain indifferent, Islamic Azad University law professors, in line with their mission of justice, suggest the following measures for follow-up and implementation;

1- We ask the Security Council and in case of inefficiency of this council, which unfortunately is clear at the moment due to the influence of the American government, ask the United Nations General Assembly as well as regional organizations and all countries of the world to put an end to the crimes committed in Gaza and establish an immediate and lasting ceasefire.

2- We want The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to the open case of the Israeli regime and Palestine's membership in the Rome Statute, urgently and specifically; to prosecute the commanders, perpetrators and leaders of international crimes committed in Gaza.

3-We want all the free and justice-loving countries of the world, by using the capacities of national courts and by exercising universal jurisdiction, to provide the grounds of prosecuting the criminals and perpetrators of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity in order to fight against "impunity" and in response to "the injuries to the human conscience" and provide "healing to the sad cries of Palestinian mothers and children".

4- The world expects the United Nations and regional organizations and all countries to use all their capacities to punish the Tel Aviv regime through the imposition of sanctions in the fields of energy and goods transfer, and the sanctions on goods manufactured by that regime and with termination of diplomatic relations and the expulsion of Zionist ambassadors and the expulsion and suspension of voting rights of this regime in global and regional assemblies.

5- It is expected that all international human rights mechanisms, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, treaty bodies and the Human Rights Council, draw the attention of the UN members to the situation in Gaza and the flagrant violation of international peace and security, and lay the groundwork for a trial and provide the accountability of this regime and the responsibility of its supporting countries.

In this direction and for the realization of the aforementioned measures, the international legal community at internal, regional and global levels, including students, elites, experts, lawyers and judges, is invited to participate and share scientific and legal thinking and share opinions and dialogue, and to redefine the foundations and literature of resistance and to stand up against oppression, correct and legalize the new chapter of the United Nations Charter under the international rights of resistance.

In the end, while sympathizing with the innocent people of Gaza and stressing the occupation of the Palestinian land and Holy Quds, and recognizing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and the right to resist the occupation, which is emphasized in the United Nations Charter and the principles of international law, We announce that;

The legal solution to solve the Palestinian issue, is to end the occupation of Palestine and to fulfill the rights of the Palestinian people through the right of return of all displaced Palestinians around the world and the right of self-determination of all Palestinians through holding a referendum among the native and original residents of Palestine, including Muslims, Christians and Jews.