Pasargad Heritage Foundation, as an official non-profit organization concerned with the fate of human cultural and archaeological heritages, has been obliged to take the file on Mr. Rahim Mashai to International authorities and, putting his name alongside those responsible for destruction of world heritages such as the Taliban, has filed a complaint against him asking for a hearing on his intentional and systematic endeavors to destroy the ancient cultural treasures of the Iranian Nation

 

 

Indictment of Mr. Esfandiar Rahim-Mosha'i, head of Islamic Republic of Iran Cultural Heritage Organization, for Crimes against Humanity

 

Date: December 24, 2007

 

For the attention of: Honorable Judge Philippe Kirsch,

PresidentInternational Criminal Court (ICC)

 

Subject: Indictment of Mr. Esfandiar Rahim-Mosha'i, head of Islamic Republic of Iran Cultural Heritage Organization, for Crimes against Humanity

 

WITNESSETH,

Whereas, a proposal has been made by me to your good office on June 5, 2007, Kourosh Zaim to amend Articles 5 and 7 of the Rome Statute by adding crimes against world cultural heritage as crimes against humanity punishable by international law through the International Criminal Court;

AND WHEREAS, said proposal was confirmed and recommended at the Tehran International Law Conference of June 2007, and which said proposal has been duly submitted to the office of the President of the International Criminal Court for consideration and further action,

AND, WHEREAS, the people of Iran feel the urgency of timely normative action for the purpose of deterring systematic destruction of ancient Iranian cultural and historical heritage by state officials,

NOW, THEREFORE, with presumption that sometime soon said proposed amendments or some variations of it will be included in the Rome Constitution and made into law; and that any delay in prosecution of violators will result in further diminishing of humanity's cultural and historical heritage,

The Pasargad Heritage Foundation, HEREBY, accuses the following individual and his organization of crimes against humanity under the proposed Section E of Article 5, and Sections J and L of Article 7 of ICC Constitution (yet to be adopted and made into law).

We accuse Mr. Esfandiar Rahim-Mosha'i, Chief of the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization, along with his team, of crimes against humanity, for deliberate and systematic state-sanctioned destruction of ancient Iranian world cultural and historical heritage. The crimes committed by Mr. Mosha'i and his team are listed and attached.

 

We plea to the International Criminal Court that, once the proposed amendments to the ICC constitution or variations thereof are adopted, due process be acted on with urgency. The destruction of historical and cultural heritage in Iran is moving forward with mind-boggling speed and must be stopped before it is too late.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Pasargad Heritage Foundation

Kourosh Zaïm, Research Director

 

 

Attachments:

 

1.      The original proposal to the ICC for constitutional amendments.

2.      List of a few Examples of violations symbolizing Iran Cultural Heritage Organization's deliberate and systematic destruction of Iranian cultural and historical heritage in attached. A partial listing of more than 300 violations is also attached in Persian language.

http://www.pasargadfoundation.com/