Iran vows to take Saudi rulers to court over hajj disaster

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s state prosecutor said he will pursue legal action against Saudi Arabia’s rulers in international courts over the crush of pilgrims at this year’s hajj, which killed more than 700 people, including 136 Iranians.

Ebrahim Raisi, speaking on state TV Saturday, called the disaster “a crime” subject to prosecution. He said Saudi authorities blocked a road used by hajj pilgrims to allow a royal convoy to pass through, causing the deadly convergence of two waves of pilgrims going in opposite directions.

At least 719 pilgrims suffocated or were trampled to death in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca. Iranians comprise the largest group of casualties identified so far.

Iran also urged Saudi Arabia to locate more than 340 of its nationals still missing in the aftermath of the deadly stampede.

The head of Iran’s hajj organisation, Said Ohadi said 344 Iranians were still unaccounted for, two days after the disaster.

“The list of missing Iranians has been passed on to Saudi authorities,” Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said.

Iranian state TV says Ghazanfar Roknabadi, a former ambassador to Lebanon, as well as two Iranian state TV reporters and a prominent political analyst are among those still missing.

Culture Minister Ali Janati is to head a delegation to Saudi Arabia to follow up on the cases of those missing and injured in Thursday’s stampede .

He will also oversee the repatriation of those killed, to take place on Monday according to local media.