Dr Alejo Vidal Quadras, Former Vice President of the European Parliament, speaks at a conference on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the 1988 Massacre of 30,000 political prisoners (mainly MEK activists) in Iran- September 2018

On September 14th, Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras gave a speech at a conference in Geneva, Switzerland commemorating the 30th anniversary of the 1988 execution of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran. The prisoners, who were mostly members or supporters of the MEK, were executed over the course of a single summer after refusing to renounce their support for the MEK.

The conference was attended by a group of human rights activists, politicians, and dignitaries who seek an independent investigation into the crimes against humanity. Dr. Vidal-Quadras was a co-organizer of the event and is president of the International Committee in Search of Justice (ISJ), an organization whose goal is to see that the perpetrators of the 1988 massacre are brought to justice and tried in international court.

In his speech, Dr. Vidal-Quadras called the 1988 massacre “probably the worst crime in Iran’s modern history. Vidal-Quadras noted that none of the perpetrators have ever been arrested for the executions. Instead, many “who have even admitted their role in this crime, have been rewarded and hold senior or ministerial positions in Iran today. Two of them are the previous and the present minister of Justice. Appointing the perpetrator of a crime against humanity as minister of Justice is really a world record of Evil.”

Vidal-Quadras spoke of the current human rights situation in Iran and the current number of executions. He rejected the idea that regime President Hassan Rouhani is a reformer, pointing out that more than 3,500 people have been executed in Iran since the start of Rouhani’s presidency.

Vidal-Quadras described the regime as a “killing machine,” saying that the regime has “responded brutally to the nationwide protests and uprisings which began in late December and have continued in different cities.” He added that more people have died under torture once in custody.

Dr. Vidal-Quadras urged the European community to “side with the people of Iran.” He said that the current policy of the EU and Federica Mogherini (High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy), “in closing their eyes to human rights violations and repression of women and just focusing on business and trade, is a disgrace.”

Vidal-Quadras stressed that Europe must make relations with Iran conditional on a halt in executions and significant progress in human rights. He emphasized that “Iran is not a normal country to do business with. There are no free elections in Iran. Iran is indeed a dictatorship but of an especially malignant type. It is a totalitarian theocracy which survives by the repression inside and instigation of war, terrorism and civil conflicts outside its borders.”

Vidal-Quadras stated that the Iranian regime is “very unstable and weak” and “has no future.” He reiterated his point that there are no moderates in Iran and that that the future “

We should tell them that contrary to what they think, this is a regime and e. So even for our long-term interests we should not count on the mullahs and have illusions about Rouhani or the so-called moderates, there are no real moderates in this religious dictatorship. The future “belongs to democracy and not these backward, brutal and murderous fanatics that oppress cruelly their own people and are the worst threat to peace and stability in the Middle East and in the whole world.”

Vidal-Quadras concluded by saying: “It is essential that the UN Security Council refer this case to the International Criminal Court to arrange for the prosecution of the regime’s leaders and those responsible for the massacre. I look forward to a more active role of the UN to prosecute the Iranian regime’s officials who took part in the mass killings in summer of 1988. We need urgently a commission of enquiry.  A crime of such magnitude must not remain unpunished.”

Staff Writer