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I...TERNATIONAL C. OÜRT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, 2517KJ TheHague. Tel9.2 44 41 Cables: Intercourt, The Hague
Communiqué
unof~icial -
.. for ~mmedia t,elease
No. 79/3
29 November 1973
T!ze Ushted Stateç ins titutiis pr~ceedicgs agains t Iran
The followin& information is co~~ununicated to Che press by the
Regis try of the ïriterniitioual Court: of Justic? ;
Today, 29 November 1979, the United States of kiierica filed in the
Registry of the International Court of Jnstice an Application
O
instituting proceedings against Iran in a case regardinp the situation
in the States Embasçyat Tehszn,
Siï~ul taneously, the Unit:i States, ~nphaçizing the extrcmeurgency
a£ the nattes, has filed a requesr that the Court shoulà indicate
provisioaalmessures of proteotlon to b2 taken pranptly for the purpose
of preservini'ihc right of tlia IlriitedStates with respect to the life,
liberty, and security gf itç nationals,
The provisionalzeastiras vhich th? United States requests th^ Court:
to inciicate witheut lelayare as fcllows:
(3) That the Gover~~ent of Iran ifimeciiztely selease al1 hostages of
- Unitei States nstionality aridfacilitste the prompt and sûfe
dtparture £rom Irail of th2çe Fessons zt~d al1 athcrUnited States
officiais ia iiignified and hurlane circunstances.
-(b) That tho Goverment of Irsr. I~mediately clear the prcnises of the
United States Ernbaçsy, Chancery acd Consulate of al1 pcrsons whcse
e presence is not authorized by th^ United States Charged'Affaires
in Iran, and reçtore the preniises to United States control.
(ch That the Governmz~t of Tran ensurc that al1 persons sttached to the
Zlriited States Enbnssy ariii Consulate should be accorded, and
prutected in, full freedorz vitIlin the Entassy anci Chanccry premises,
and the frecdon of movetïirnLwithir& Zran cscessary to carry out their
diplanalie. and consuls~ functions.
-d) That the Governrnînt oE Zran not plnce on trial any pérçcn attached
to the Embassy and Consulate DE the United States anel refrain fron
any action to inpleuent any such tzial.
-e) That the Govcnir~erit of Iran crlsurc that no action is takenwhich
might przjudice th2 rights GE the United States in respect of the
carryiny out of any decision which thn Court nay render on the
~~erits, and in particular neitter Lake nor permit action that would
threaten the ?ives, safcty; or wcll-bzing of the hostages. The United States has furrh~r sugg&çted that meanwhile
the Presider,t of the Courr sbouid caKe ari irij-tiativeunder Article 74,
paragraph4, of the Rulcs of Ccurt in order ro prevent any worsenine
of the situatioc.
Ën its hpplicatjon instituting puocecdings, the United States
requestç the Court to adjudga and decLare as follows:
-(a) That the Governnent of Iran, in tulerating, ençouraging 2nd failing
to prevent 2nd punis11 th2 cond~içt deçcrlbed in a preceding
Statemcnt of Fscts, violated its internztional legal obligations
tc the Unitcd Statcç as prowided by
- Articles 22, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31, 37 and 47 af the Vienna
e Convention on Diplornatic ~elationç,
- Articles 28, 31, 33, 34, 36 end 40 cf the ViennaConvention
on Consular Relations,
- Articles 4 and 7 of the Conveotiun on the Frevcntion and
Punishmentof Crimes Agatnst InternationallyProtected Persons,
Including Diplorriatic Agents, and
- Articl~s II(4), SIII,XGIIL, ûnd SIX of th? Trcaty of timity,
Economic Relationsand Consular Rights becVeen the United States
and ira^, and
- ~rticules 213): S(4), and 77 2: the Charter of the United Nations;
(b) That pursuarit ro the Fùregoin~ international legal obligations, the
- Government of Iran is undinr e pcrticular obligation imcdiately to
secuse the release of nll Dnited States nationalscurrently being
S detained within the pr5nises of the United States Embassyin Tehran
and to assure thet al1 suc11 pfrsons and 211 o.ber UnitedStztes
nationals in Tchran arc allowed to leave Iran safely;
-(c) Tn&t the ~overihent of Iran shall pay to the United States, in its
own right 2nd in the zxercise of its right cf diplornatic protection
of its nationzls, r~paratLon for the foregoing violations of Iran's
internationallegnl cbligariocs ta.the Unitea States, in a surn to
he detemined hy the C~ustg rnd
-(dl That the Governmentof Iran subnit to its ccmpetent authoritiesfor
the purpose of prosecution those perçons responsiblefor the crimes
comitred against the premises and staff of the United States Embassy
and against the przmiçes of its Çonsula~es.
x
the ~~~licationinstituting ~roceedings, the request for the
The texts of
I indicationof interim neastires and tiie letter of the linited States Government
to the President of the Court are avnilable in the Registry of the Court and
can be furnished to nembers of the p2es.ç on request.
The United States institutes proceedings against Iran