United States Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Tehran (United States of America v. Iran) - The International Court of Justice indicates provisional measures

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INTERNATIONAL COURTOFJUSTICE

Peace Palace, 2517KJ The Hague, Tel.92 44 41 Lables: Intercourt, The Hague

Commu~liqué
unofficial
for 8mntediet~ release

no. 79/7
15 DecePiber 1379

United States Diril.nn%tic e:io Colisuiar Staff in Telln

(United Statesof Afierica v. 1rzn

The Internat ional Court cY Justice indicatcs provisionalmeasures

a
The follawinginformation is co~municated to the prsss by the
Registry of the Inter~aticnal Court of Justice :

Todey , 15 Decenber 1979 the International Court of Justice
unanimusly nade en Order indicatin& provisiùnal masures to the
effrct that, pending the Court'sfinal decision in .:he case concerning
United States Diploxztic and Consdar Staff' in Tenran :

A. (i) The Governnent cf the lslamic RepirSLic of Iran should

imcdiatelg ençure t hat th? prsniscs rif the Untted States
Embassy , Chancery end Cnnsulates be restored to the possessicn
of' the United Szates authorities under their exclusive control,
and should ens-me their invioiability snd i:Tfec Live prctecticin
es provided for by the treaties in force hetveen th? two Statcs,
and by generel intern~tinnal law;

(ii ) Tne Governnent cf the I~larnic EepiiGlic cf Iran s-iodd ensure
the immediate release, wi-thout ariy excention, of al1 persans of
a United States nationzlity ~11o are Ir h?:ye been held in the
Enbassy of the Ul~ited States of Awrica r?r in tiïe Miniçtry of

Foreign Af fairs in Tekiran, or have bcen hpld as hostages elsewhere ,
and afford f$l protectionto al1 sach persons, in accordance with
'thetreaties' in force bekween the tvo Stxtes , an6 with ~enerel
internatiocal latr;

(iii ) The Governnent of the IslarLi2 Repl~bllc of Ir~tn should, as
fram that moment, afford t3 al1 -the diplornatic anfi coriçular

personnel of the Gnitèd States the fiil1 protection,privileges
and immunitiesto which k?iey are erititled under the treaties in
force between the twci Stztes, and under generalinternational law,
including imw.ity fr~n any forn of criminal jurisdictionand
freedorn and facilities t~ leave the territory of Iran p

B. The Governcient of the United States of PPmeric% aaddhe Government
of the Islsmic ~epublic of Iran sho3d not take any action and
shoula ensurc that no action is taken vhich nay agunvste the
tension between the two countries or rendcr %he existing dispute
mure difficult c~f solution,

x

For the purposes of its Ord?r, tiie Court, wzs compoçedas fallows :
President Sir FLm2hre;f W~ldcck, Vice-Presidect nias, Judges Forster,