Today, 1000 political prisoners, members of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran)including dozens of the survivors of the 1988 massacre along with international dignitaries from across the globe joined a virtual conference to continue the effort to seek justice and accountability.
The 1988 massacre
Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said: “From the onset of the 1988 massacre, the Iranian Resistance provided information about the mass executions to the United Nations. Unfortunately, they chose to turn a blind eye to these crimes,”.
Mrs. Rajavi described the 1988 massacre as “a clear example of genocide.”
She added, “Khomeini’s fatwa was an explicit decree to execute all the Mojahedin who remained steadfast… the goal of the regime goes far beyond the execution of several thousand; it is the obliteration of a generation, an ideology, and men and women who rejected religious extremism under the guise of Islam and stood up for human freedom and dignity,”.
Valuable group of witnesses
Mrs. Rajavi continued saying: “The fact that such a large and valuable group of witnesses to the regime’s crimes are at the core of a revolutionary movement speaks volumes about a tremendous social reality,”.
“Over the past 33 years, they have continuously contributed to the Call-for-Justice Movement with their high spirit and effective presence in the struggle against religious fascism.” Mrs. Rajavi said.
Dominique Attias, French Lawyer
Dominique Attias, French Lawyer Specializing in Personal Rights, Juvenile Law, and Violence Against Women: This is a crime against humanity. This has to be stopped. Europeans and the entire world are silent. Today, a murderer is ruling Iran. The Iranian parliament might have accepted him, but we won’t. Iranian women will not accept him. Women are a fundamental element of society. If we close our eyes, we will be responsible too. The Bar Association of Europe will stand with you.
Geoffrey Robertson
Geoffrey Ronald Robertson, QC, Is a Human Rights Barrister, Academic, Author, and Broadcaster: It is important to see whether what happened to MEK members can be lawfully classified as genocide. Genocide is the killing of a group based on their religion or race.
The fatwa [decree] issued by [regime founder Ruhollah] Khomeini began by saying the MEK does not believe in Islam, has become renegades, and has waged war on God: ‘moharebe’. The MEK was distinguished from Khomeini because of their different view on Islam.
Theo Van Boven
Theo Van Boven, Director of the UN Division of Human Rights (1977-1982) and UN Special Rapporteur on Torture (2001-2004): The current president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, has a lengthy career in the judiciary.
While holding these functions, large-scale killings occurred across Iran, including the 1988 massacre, bringing into question the rule and accountability of Ebrahim Raisi.
Kumi Naidoo
Kumi Naidoo, Secretary-General of Amnesty International (2018-2020): It is important to understand how unjust governments use their ideological apparatus to control the population. It is important that the EU and broader international community adopt leadership roles on this issue. This government in Iran, led by Raisi, has even greater culpability on the issue of the 1988 massacre.
Governments that behave like this must recognize that that behavior is not so much a show of force as an admission of weakness.
Audronius AžUbalis
Audronius AžUbalis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania (2010 – 2012) and Member of Parliament: Despite all the calls for an independent international investigation into the 1988 massacre, the European Union has ignored these calls, shown no reaction, and not been prepared to show a reaction. I would like to call on the EU to sanction the regime for crimes against humanity.
I think Lithuania can take the lead among EU members.
Eric David
Eric David, Professor of International Law from Belgium: There is no doubt that this is a crime against humanity. It was an attack on a civil population. This is also a genocide because the victims were killed based on their adherence to a set of beliefs that was banned by the mullahs.
Gulnara Shahinian
Gulnara Shahinian, UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery (2008-2014) From Armenia: The roles of states and the international community are critically important. They must bear the responsibility to protect these sites.
The respect of the lawful handling of mass graves must be assured. The international community must do much more. All actions to protect human rights are critical now. We must make sure future generations do not forget these crimes. We have to call for accountability and not allow this to happen again.
Mehri Hajinejad
Former Iranian Political Prisoner Mehri Hajinejad: Four of my siblings were killed by the regime. When I was in prison, the interrogators tried to make us believe that we were alone. I thank all of you for your advocacy of the justice movement.
More than 1,000 former political prisoners are present here. Unfortunately, a small number were accepted in the Swedish court that is trying regime criminal Hami Nouri.
Sima Mirzaei
Sima Mirzaei, a Relative of the Victims of the 1988 Massacre: My sister, Khadijeh, was arrested in 1981 and tortured brutally for several months. She died under torture.
My brothers and sister were executed in 1988 after spending seven years in prison. My brother, Hossein, spent half of his seven years in solitary confinement. My sister, Masoumeh, was tortured in front of her son.
Franco Frattini
Franco Frattini, Foreign Minister of Italy (2002–2004 and 2008–2011): Always the Iranian presidents have spoken about their adherence to the UN’s values. But in practice, the regime has lost popular support, applying for the rule of guns instead of the rule of law.
Finally, I hope for an independent investigation with no limitation into the 1988 massacre. The credibility of the UN system is at stake.
Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt, Prime Minister of Belgium (1999 to 2008): I am still shocked by what happened in 1988 and it is because the people had no chance to protect themselves and flee from torture.
They were locked up and deprived of freedom. And based on the fatwa, they were hanged after short inquisitions by the death commission.
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