News / Politics

Saudi responsible for last year Mina tragedy: Iran

Wednesday, 03 August 2016 5:44 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 03 August 2016 5:54 PM ]

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi

Iran says Saudi Arabia must be held to account for the death of thousands of Muslims in last year’s Mina tragedy during the Hajj rituals.

“As the Muslim ummah is well aware, incompetent Saudi officials are undoubtedly responsible for the tragic incident and they should be seriously held to account” for the tragedy, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Wednesday, less than a year after thousands of pilgrims lost their lives in the deadly crush near the holy city of Mecca.

The crush occurred after two large masses of pilgrims converged at a crossroads in Mina during the symbolic ceremony of the stoning of Satan in Jamarat on September 24, 2015.

Saudi Arabia claims nearly 770 people were killed in the incident, but Iranian officials say about 4,700 people, including more than 460 Iranians, lost their lives in the tragedy.

The crush was the deadliest incident in the history of the pilgrimage. According to an Associated Press count based on official statements from the 36 countries that lost citizens in the disaster, more than 2,400 pilgrims were killed in the incident.

Qasemi said that the Iranian Foreign Ministry is following up on the incident through political and international legal channels.

Saudi emergency personnel and Hajj pilgrims stand near the bodies covered in sheets at the site of a crush in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, September 24, 2015. ©AFP

The Iranian Foreign Ministry is doing its utmost to restore the rights of the families of the victims, he noted, adding that the issue is being pursued by Iran’s missions in most of the international organizations.

According to the official, the Iranian Foreign Ministry is working with relevant bodies at the government as well as the Judiciary to use the existing legal potential at the international level to better pursue the issue.

Iran has, on numerous occasions, criticized Saudi’s incompetence in handling the pilgrimage for the tragic incidents.

As Saudi Arabia fell short of ensuring guarantees for the safety of pilgrims, Iran announced recently that it will not send pilgrims to this year’s Hajj. Iran’s decision came after Riyadh failed to address the Islamic Republic’s concerns regarding the safety and dignity of the Iranian nationals participating in the Hajj pilgrimage.

The Hajj pilgrimage brings millions of Muslims to Saudi Arabia every year.

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