Tehran sues Canada at ICJ over violation of Iran's immunities

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
28 Jun 2023 23:13

Tehran is convinced that the legal measures taken by Ottawa abrogated Tehran’s jurisdictional immunity and immunity from measures of constraint.

Tehran sues Canada at ICJ over violation of Iran's immunities

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced on Wednesday that Iran has filed a case against Canada alleging Ottawa has violated the nation's immunities.

"Yesterday, the Islamic Republic of Iran filed an application instituting proceedings against Canada before the International Court of Justice … Iran contends that ‘Canada has adopted and implemented a series of legislative, executive, and judicial measures against Iran and its property [since 2012] in breach of its international obligations," the statement reads.

The statement further says that Tehran is convinced that the legal steps taken by Ottawa abrogated Tehran’s jurisdictional immunity and immunity from measures of constraint.

"By failing to respect the immunities of Iran and its property, Canada has violated its international obligations towards Iran," as per Iran's request to penalize Canada, the statement reads.

In related news, Baghdad announced on June 10 that $2.7 billion belonging to Iran and previously frozen under US sanctions were released, head of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce Yahya Ale Eshaq told Tasnim News Agency.

ISNA reported a week prior that 24 billion dollars are scheduled to be soon unfrozen for Iran from Iraq and South Korea in the near future following the visit of the Sultan of Oman, Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, to Tehran end of May.

South Korea will release $7 billion in assets, while Iraq will free more than $10 billion in assets, the most related to oil exports, the agency said.

Following the visit of the Sultan of Oman to Iran and the visit of the US President's aide to Oman, it was decided to release the frozen assets in the form of an understanding with Iran, ISNA said.

Furthermore, it was announced that Iran will be allowed to access more than $6.7 billion of its special drawing rights following a recent meeting in Washington between the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Mohammad Reza Farzin, and the head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva.

In March, the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the partial freeze of Iranian assets by the US is illegal and that the US is now required to pay compensation for the consequences and violations of international obligations. The ruling came despite Washington's opposition, which requested that the "case should be dismissed in its entirety based on the principle of unclean hands," without offering evidence of unlawful activities.

Kirill Gevorgian, vice-president of the court, stated how the US has effectively violated its commitments under the Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights of 1955 with Iran, now becoming obliged to pay Iran.