جمعه 10 فروردین 1403

14 August 2023

Iran to use French legal expertise to compensate victims of Hajj crush

A delegation from Iran’s Foreign Ministry will go to France as part of legal efforts to restore the rights of the Iranian pilgrims who died in a tragic stampede in Saudi Arabia last year, an Iranian official announced, noting Iran is using the French legal expertise to restore the rights of Hajj victims.


Speaking at a television talk show on Monday night, the head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization said the Foreign Ministry has been assigned the task of handling the Mina tragedy case via legal and political channels. 

Saeed Ohadi added that a legal committee has been formed to deal with the issue.

Ohadi stated that the Foreign Ministry consular department is going to release the results of its legal campaigns to restore the rights of the “Mina martyrs.”

He once again took a swipe at the Saudis for lack of cooperation, saying the families of the victims or those injured in the crush have not yet received any compensation.

Apart from serious efforts to pursue the case legally, Iran is in contact with 24 other countries whose nationals were killed in the incident, he explained.

Earlier this month, the Foreign Ministry pledged utmost efforts to restore the rights of the families of the victims.

Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on August 4 that not only have the Iranian diplomatic representatives put forward the case in many international organizations, but the country is also in consultation with renowned local and foreign jurists to officially hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the tragic incident. 

More than 460 Iranians were among the thousands of pilgrims who died in the September 24 stampede in Mina, near Mecca, during the Hajj ritual.

The incident marked the worst ever tragedy during the Hajj.

Saudi authorities have come under fire for their inability to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who converge on Mecca every year.