General Neshat denied the charges brought by the court. He believed that he was innocent and that all he had done was to stand by the oath of allegiance he had taken to the flag, the King, the country, and the people, and that he had carried out his duty. According to his daughter, in his defense writings, he had emphasized that he was a soldier and it was his responsibility to follow the orders from his superior, and was ready to sacrifice himself”.(ABC interview – May 11, 2021)
In defending himself against the charge of Mohareb with God, he stated in court: “I come from a religious and dervish family and have never waged war against God, God’s Messenger, and the Imam of Time’s (Peace Be Upon Him) Deputy.” He stated in his defense that he had never participated in “the mass murder of innocent people”, and had put his forces at the disposal of the Tehran Military Command on the orders of his superior officer and had “never commanded those forces and their operations”.
