We, the undersigned, attorneys from various backgrounds and organizations including prosecutors, defense counsel and legal officers from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, and other judicial institutions, non-governmental organizations and related groups working in the field of international humanitarian and human rights law, urge the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to strongly consider speaking out publicly regarding the on-going situation in Iran. In recent days, it has become increasingly apparent that abuses against civilians in Iran have intensified in both frequency and severity. It is our belief that it is within the scope and duty of the Prosecutor's office to inform states, including states that are not a party to the Rome Statute, that the Prosecutor's office will closely monitor developments. More importantly, we believe that the Prosecutor should remind states that all individuals, regardless of their state's relationship with the ICC, are still under legal obligation to not engage in violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law, as codified in Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Rome Statute. As the situation develops we urge you to remain closely apprised of events in Iran. Should the situation in Iran continue to deteriorate, we believe you speaking out on this matter would potentially contribute to encouraging restraint for those contemplating violence against civilians in Iran. We hope you will give this matter the serious consideration it deserves.

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