On August 21, the global legal community converged on Paris for a landmark conference commemorating the 35th anniversary of the harrowing 1988 massacre in Iran.
This grim period saw the demise of 30,000 political prisoners. Named “Four Decades of Crimes Against Humanity and Impunity from Punishment,” the event drew top international judges and legal experts.
Those in attendance possessed extensive experience spanning major global courts. This gamut of legal prowess touched on landmark cases from Cambodia to Yugoslavia, the Gaza Strip to Argentina.
High-profile attendees included Professor Wolfgang Schomburg, a former judge from the International Criminal Tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Adding weight to the significance of the conference was Mr. Geoffrey Nice, who led the prosecution of Slobodan Milošević for war crimes.
Another luminary, Professor Leila Nadiya Sadat, shared insights from her deep dives into crimes against humanity in places like Argentina and the Hama massacre in Syria. Sheila Paylan, central to the trials of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge, also attended, highlighting her role in securing the life imprisonment of former head of state Kyu Sampong.
Professor Leila Nadiya Sadat, shared insights from her deep dives into crimes against humanity in places like Argentina and the Hama massacre in Syria.
Other notable presences included Professor William Schabas, known for leading the UN’s independent investigative commission in the Gaza Strip, former Hague Tribunal president Prof. Chile Eboe-Osuji, and Prof. Vilenas Vadapalas, a judge at the General Court of the European Union.
The urgency behind this assembly in Paris was palpable. Their united call? To end impunity for those behind the 1988 massacre. The message was clear: the era of sanctuary for those responsible is over.
For three and a half decades, the Iranian regime, cocooned in its power web, believed the international community would forget its transgressions. However, the unyielding mission of the Iranian Resistance since 2016 has been to seek justice for those victims.
Professor Schomburg, advocating for accountability, declared that even sitting presidents could face international legal scrutiny, effectively negating any concept of presidential immunity.
Professor Schomburg Former President of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Chile Eboe-Osuji, furthered this by referencing Article 27 of the Rome Statute. The verdict? “No one, not even heads of state, would enjoy immunity from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC).”
Professor Vadapalas pressed for changes in European detention laws, emphasizing the need to remove immunity clauses for heinous crimes like the 1988 massacre.
The poignant words of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mrs. Oleksandra Matviichuk further underscored the pressing need for accountability, especially considering the regime’s alleged engagement in war crimes in Ukraine.
Sheila Paylan fervently pledged her support for Iran’s Resistance, embodying the spirit of unity among attendees.
This Paris conference echoed a unified international sentiment: the quest for justice remains unyielding. Those responsible for the 1988 massacre, and any subsequent atrocities, will be held accountable.
MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu