UK Lord Maginnis, speaking at a Parliamentary committee asking for a firm policy on Iran

Lord Maginnis of Drumglassis, member of the U.K. House of Lords and the British Committee for Iran Freedom, has called for the International community, particularly the U.K. government to put efforts to hold the Iranian regime accountable, and end impunity for the perpetrators of the crime against humanity, the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, mainly MEK supporters. He further suggested that it’s time for a change in the policies of the Western countries towards Iran to recognize their legitimate resistance, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK/PMOI).

In an article published on 26 of August 2020 to Creative Destruction Media, Lord Maginnis detailed the U.K.’s ‘casual reaction’ to Iran’s human rights record. In particular, he highlighted the recent anniversary of the 1988 massacre in Iran by the “Death Commissions,” who were responsible for the deaths of approximately 30,000 political prisoners, mainly members of the MEK/PMOI. Lord Maginnis said: “No one has ever been held accountable for the massacre, and more than 30 years later, questions persist about its precise scope and details.”

Political prisoners were buried in unmarked graves, and their loved ones were not informed of what happened to them. He called for justice and accountability for the perpetrators of the massacre, many of whom are currently leaders and officials of the Iranian regime: “That dreadful image will become more faded over time, unless the international community – not least the United Kingdom – takes immediate action to investigate the massacre and hold its perpetrators to account, before Iran can conceal any more evidence or spread any further misinformation.”

Despite claims by the regime that the organization was destroyed by the massacre, in recent years, support for the MEK/PMOI has been visible inside Iranian society. Lord Maginnis stated: “That was proven false no later than January 2018, when Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivered a speech acknowledging that the PMOI (MEK), Iran’s best-organized opposition, had played a major role in nationwide protests that were then gripping the country.”

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In November 2019, protests within Iran, led by the MEK/PMOI, spread to approximately 200 cities and towns. Over the following days, around 1,500 peaceful protestors were killed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iranian security forces. Since then, others have been imprisoned and sentenced to death. These repression tactics by the regime are highly reminiscent of the 1988 massacre.

Lord Maginnis believes that the regime can continue its gross violation of human rights unchecked unless the U.K. and other European countries take action against it: “The regime is clearly counting on a relative absence of Western scrutiny and the off-hand manner of U.K. government reaction. Unfortunately, it has a sound basis for doing so. The U.K., as well as Europe, has a long history of giving Tehran the benefit of the doubt; simply steering clear of Iran’s domestic affairs out of some misguided concern about alienating ‘moderates’ within the theocratic regime.”

Moving forward, Lord Maginnis argued that it is imperative for the Iranian regime to be held accountable on an international level. The details of the 1988 massacre must be investigated, and the impunity enjoyed by the mullahs must end: “Nations that value democracy and human rights can no longer “sit on their hands” but must, with representatives of the pro-democracy Resistance movement, the NCRI [MEK/PMOI], seek to make amends for those 32 wasted years since 1988.”