On July 17, 2024, the United Nations published a very shocking report on the gross and systematic violation of human rights in Iran by the ruling regime. Until the date of publication of this report, various UN bodies have condemned the Iranian regime 70 times for gross violations of human rights through resolutions. The UN has also published dozens of reports on Iran. However, none of them has revealed the facts like the above report about the Iranian regime.
Killings with Genocide intent
This investigative report was prepared under the supervision of Professor Javed Rahman, the UN reporter, after talking to about 80 live witnesses and reviewing thousands of documents on 63 pages. This report deals with the killing of opponents in the 80s and the massacre of thousands of political prisoners in 1988. A significant majority of the massacred political prisoners belonged to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran.
The Special Rapporteur highlights in his report that, “there is considerable evidence that mass killings, torture and other inhumane acts against members of PMOI were conducted with genocidal intent”
The worst “atrocity crimes” in our living memory.
“The Special Rapporteur notes that the ‘atrocity crimes’ as reported – which took place all across Iran – represent the commission of the worst and the most egregious human rights abuses of our living memory whereby high-ranking state officials connived, conspired and actively engaged to plan, order and commit crimes against humanity and genocide against the nationals of their own state.”
Beginning of largest waves of mass executions
“Largescale repression and persecution by State authorities had led to countrywide upheaval and demonstrations culminating in the PMOI calling for mass protests and demonstrations on 20 June 1981. Reportedly the State authorities killed over fifty protesters and injured over 200. On 21 June 1981, Saeed Soltanpour, a prominent poet and playwright, and 14 other leftist dissidents (5 of whom were unidentified) were subjected to summary executions on charges of ‘enmity against Islam, Allah and his prophet’ and ‘spreading corruption on earth’. The execution of these dissidents marks the beginning of one of the largest waves of mass executions that the country would witness in its recent history.”
Continued suppression.
“In the aftermath of the government’s crackdown in 1981 and in subsequent years, tens of thousands of opponents of the Islamic Republic of Iran were arbitrarily imprisoned and tortured and thousands were subjected to arbitrary, summary and extra-judicial executions.”
Prisons massacre.
“The 1988 Massacre in the Islamic Republic of Iran refers to the ‘systematic’ and ‘widespread’ attack on a civilian population resulting in mass murder, summary, arbitrary and extra-judicial executions as well as enforced disappearances of thousands of political prisoners between July–September 1988… An overwhelming majority of the executed prisoners were members and sympathizers of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), although hundreds of individuals belonging to leftist political groups and organizations had also forcibly disappeared and executed.”
The “Death Commissions”.
“In issuing his fatwa, Khomeini ordered the execution of all ‘steadfast’ Mojahedin prisoners in which he also decreed the formation of three-member commissions nationwide, each commission including a religious judge, prosecutor (or deputy prosecutor) and representative from the Ministry of Intelligence.”
Crime of adopting a democratic Islam.
“In the Iranian theocracy, the PMOI was objectionable essentially because it was a group, which had adopted a different version of Islam and since they did not repent their ‘hypocrisy’, as Iranian authorities label them, and did not repudiate their deviation were for that reason killed… .Khomeini’s 1988 fatwa is manifestly clear that he intentionally and purposefully ordered the mass executions of all steadfast PMOI members, an ordinance which was also subsequently implemented against members of other groups.”
Protecting of survivors and witnesses
“The tragedy of these crimes is that their survivors and witnesses remain in immeasurable grief and an undeniable victimhood presents a living testimony to these atrocities. As survivors mentioned in their testimonies to the Special Rapporteur, they are all faced with mental and psychological trauma on a perpetual basis as they search for a dignified, respectful, and humane closure to their daily suffering and pain… These victims and survivors look towards the United Nations and members of the international community for truth, justice and accountability.”
Disinformation campaign against victims.
“Through a campaign of misinformation and victim blaming attempted to accuse the victims as ‘enemy combatants’, ‘terrorists’ and ‘mass murderers’ with consistent reports of harassment, intimidation, arbitrary detention, persecution, torture and other ill-treatment of all those seeking justice and accountability”.
Accountability mechanisms.
”In the prevailing environment it is impossible to seek any form of accountability at the domestic level for crimes committed during the 1980s. There are currently no avenues to seek truth and justice and no prospects of claiming reparations in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Indeed, those seeking accountability are frequently targeted, persecuted and punished. One poignant example illustrating this pattern of harassment and persecution is the case of Maryam Akbari-Monfared, a political prisoner in the country. Ms. Akbari-Monfared displayed immense courage by filing an official complaint from inside prison on 15 October 2016, addressing the Iranian judiciary regarding the execution of her siblings during the 1988 massacre. In response to her pursuit of accountability, she has faced increased pressure while incarcerated.”
Conclusions and Recommendations.
“The Special Rapporteur calls upon individual member states of the United Nations to make use of universal jurisdiction to investigate, issue arrest warrants against, and prosecute individuals for “atrocity crimes” – committed during the 1980s and in particular during 1981-1982 and in 1988 – including crimes against humanity as well as genocide and other serious human rights violations amounting to crimes under international law including torture, enforced disappearances and summary, arbitrary and extrajudicial executions.”
