Iran's Arrest Warrant For Trump Political Move, Unlikely To Bear Consequences - Lawyer

GENOA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd July, 2020) The arrest warrant for US President Donald Trump issued by Tehran over the killing of Iranian senior military commander Qasem Soleimani and filed with the Interpol is a political move that is very unlikely to bring any consequences in practice, Toby Cadman, an international lawyer and co-founder of the London-based Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers, told Sputnik.

The arrest warrant for Trump was issued by the Iranian judiciary authorities earlier this week alongside warrants for 35 other individuals, including US political and military officials, allegedly involved in the killing of Soleimani.

"It is of course open to Iran to seek to prosecute President Trump during and after the term of his presidency, however, it is unlikely in the extreme that such a prosecution will ever happen. It is merely political posturing that will have no impact," Cadman said.

According to Tehran's prosecutor Ali Al-Qasimehr, Iran's judicial authorities have asked Interpol to issue "red notices" for the individuals mentioned in the warrants � the highest level of notice the global police agency can issue on an individual to pursue an arrest. Tehran has accused these figures of "murder" and acts of "terrorism."

"The reality of the matter, is that the request, and the intention to prosecute expressed by Iran is nothing more than political posturing so as to seemingly take action against the US; the statement and the attempted action is symbolic, but without any real consequence at this stage," Cadman said.

Interpol said it would not consider the request of such nature as it abstains from any interventions of political, military, religious or racial character.

Cadman suggested that Interpol was not going to change its position.

"The request is evidently one that Iran is seeking to gain from politically, attempting to take a strong position against the US, and holding president Trump personally responsible for the attack in question. Legally, there is no other option to Iran as far as any prosecution is concerned. Perhaps ironically Iran should be advised to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and refer the situation to the ICC," Cadman said.

On January 3, a US drone strike killed Soleimani near Baghdad's international airport. Iran retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at two bases hosting US forces in Iraq. Initially, the White House and Pentagon said that no one was hurt, but the latter eventually admitted that there had been victims and proceeded to increase the count several times.