Bin Laden deserved a fair trial not execution: Iran official

The unilateral execution by American forces was against fairness and justice: Chief Mohammad Javad Larijani.

PRETORIA: Iranian human rights chief Mohammad Javad Larijani on Thursday said al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden deserved a fair trial and not what he termed a "unilateral execution" by American forces.

"This is banned by international law. It is against fairness and justice. Even the most notorious terrorist should be put on trial. He should have a fair trial. A way to defend himself," said Larijani, the head of Iran's Supreme Council for Human Rights.

His comments came after a meeting with South African Deputy Foreign Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim.

Bin Laden was shot dead on May 2 during a raid by US commandos on a heavily fortified compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

He was believed to have been the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in which thousands of people died.

Larijani claimed that Washington had helped "these groups" for years before the September 11, attacks.

"Iran was fighting al Qaeda years before 9/11 and the United States was helping these groups for years," he said, adding that after 9/11 these groups became the epitome of evil and accusations were made against them.

"We are not going to clean them up. Terrorism should be fought all over the world," Larijani said, while lashing out at those countries that considered themselves "leaders in the fight against terrorism".

"Countries who consider themselves the flag leaders of fighting terrorism are unfortunately making their capitals the best havens for flourishing terrorism. This is wrong," he said.

"No country in the world should put itself in the position to interrogate a person, to indict a person, to pass judgment and to put it into action unilaterally."