Imagine your family losing several members to execution by the government because of their political beliefs. In Iran, this is the situation that existed in 1988 and continues for many Iranians today. For decades, there has been no accountability for those who perpetrate these crimes, allowing them to continue their crimes without any consequences.
On August 11, 2021, that situation changed. Hamid Nouri, a former assistant prosecutor in Tehran, faces charges for his role in the 1988 massacre of political prisoners, many of whom were sympathizers or supporters of the MEK (Mojahedin Khalq) opposition movement.
Referring to the trial, Sanabergh Zahedi, the head of the Judicial Commission of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said, ” Today, hundreds of MEK supporters in Sweden have come here to support the trial and emphasize the need to convict Hamid Nouri.”
To understand why this conviction is so necessary, it is essential to know what led to those horrific events of the summer of 1988. Ayatollah Khomeini felt that the MEK movement was a threat to the authority of the regime. They spoke out against the oppression of the regime’s leadership and called for a free Iran. Khomeini’s response was to issue a fatwa in 1988 to eradicate the MEK and anyone who supported them.
That fatwa facilitated the execution of more than 30,000 political prisoners in that bloody summer. It was as if the regime was going to wipe out a movement by wiping out its people.
The prison’s death commissions often spent less than two minutes deciding the fate of hundreds of prisoners. Nouri was part of the group that executed the sentences of the death commission, walking individuals from the room to be hung right after being sentenced. Families would not know what happened to their loved ones. Those fortunate enough to get their loved ones’ bodies returned often faced funerals and memorial services restrictions.
Despite all the regime’s efforts during 1988 and beyond, the regime has been unable to eradicate the MEK movement. Instead, it has grown more robust in the decades since, as young people realize there is no future under the regime and fight for something better.
To better understand the situation, we refer to an interview on Al-Ghad TV regarding the trial in Stockholm that began on August 11, 2021, where Mr. Zahedi gave a detailed and enlightening explanation.
“In today’s Iran, the MEK is at the forefront of the Iranian people’s quest for peace and democracy. MEK resistance units operating in different provinces, cities, and towns across Iran are the result,” said Zahedi.
Evin Prison, the main prison in Tehran, was where thousands of executions took place. Gohardasht Prison is near the city of Karaj and also housed a large number of political prisoners, thus making it another location for executions to take place.
The above-mentioned death squads were in charge of sentencing the Evin and Gohardasht prisoners and supervised the execution process. There was a death squad for these two prisons, which consisted of Hossein Ali Nayeri, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Morteza Eshraghi, and Ebrahim Raisi,the current Khamenei regime president.
Of course, a call for the prosecutions of the perpetrators began shortly after the massacre. It intensified in 2016 when Mrs. Maryam Rajavi called on the international community to pursue the formation of an investigative committee to look into the 1988 massacre and those involved. This committee investigated Mohammad Moghisei, Davood Lashgari, and Hamid Nouri, . Nouri was not the highest-ranking official in the 1988 mass executions.
The goal of these campaigns is a trial for all regime officials involved in the 1988 massacre, including Ali Khamenei (Iran’s Supreme Leader), Ebrahim Raisi (Iran’s new president), Mohsen Ejei (Iran’s new Judiciary Chief), and other high-ranking leaders.
The structure of the regime in Tehran is based on genocidal crimes. It is no coincidence that Ebrahim Raisi, a significant figure in the massacre of 1988, has been installed as the new president of Iran. Ebrahim Raisi has no scholarly background or any other political or economic experience. However, he is well known for his role in killings and executions.
Nouri’s defense lawyer is claiming that he is not the same man that participated in these executions. Yet, countless witnesses can testify to his face and voice despite using different names and changes to his physical appearance, knowing he was there at their 1988 trials.
The Swedish Prosecutor mentioned they compiled enough evidence for Nouri’s trial. Yet, many more prisoners were on the verge of being executed in Gohardasht prison who will not be able to testify.
Several individuals in Albania at Ashraf III compound and many others in France and Germany prepared their testimonies. Their experiences in the prison’s corridor of death were brutal. These individuals saw Hamid Nouri and Ebrahim Raisi as very active, influential, and instrumental in the brutalities happening in these prisons.
“Hamid Nouri was in charge of taking the prisoners to death row, placing the noose around prisoners’ necks, and perhaps pulling them down, ensuring they are completely dead. I mean, this person is a murderer. I should emphasize that Hamid Nouri is not at the top of the list of these murderers. He was an executor of the execution orders. Besides him, his superiors should also be put on trial,” said Zahedi.
Although the prisons in Tehran were the focus of Nouri’s trial, a justice campaign identified more than 100 members of the Death Committees in different parts of Iran. They were formed by the direct order of Khomeini in small towns and cities. There was only one mission, to execute those who insisted on supporting the MEK and the end of the regime.
A campaign working inside Iran found background information on those killed during that bloody summer. The people working on this campaign collected precise data on 5,000 MEK members who were killed. Mass graves were unveiled and made public. Photo exhibitions are held around the world.
An exhibition was recently held in front of the U.S. Congress and photo exhibitions in Paris, London, Berlin, and other cities. Books and research papers have been published on the massacre. The work will not stop until all those involved are held accountable and prosecuted in a court of law. “We shall continue and intensify our efforts so that Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi, Mohsen Ejei, and other high-ranking officials of this regime are delivered to the court of law,” said Zahedi.
This battle to hold the regime responsible for its actions is the greatest between the regime and the Iranian resistance. Raisi’s installation as the new president means that Khamenei and his regime have chosen to stay in the course of suppression, execution, and terrorism. Thus, the Iranian resistance will also stay the course, determined to rid Iran of this oppressive and corrupt leadership.
Shahin Gobadi
NCRI
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Iran: A Fatwa Which Took the Life of 30,000 Political Prisoners in 1988 Massacre
Source » einnews