Abdul Rahman Boroumand Foundation Report on Hundreds of Extrajudicial Killings and Abductions by the Islamic Republic

The Abdul Rahman Boroumand Foundation has documented hundreds of extrajudicial killings by the Islamic Republic in a research report titled "Iran: State Violence Without Borders." These cases include the abduction and murder of opponents of the regime in various countries around the world. The foundation stated that from February 1979 to the present, numerous individuals deemed "undesirable" and "unacceptable" by the Islamic Republic have been abducted, disappeared, or extrajudicially executed by agents of this government both within and outside Iran. The report mentions at least 862 cases and indicates that the state violence of the Islamic Republic includes "committing murder" and "abduction" in countries such as the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and Germany. According to the report, "the involvement of Iranian officials, diplomats, and security forces in issuing orders for the execution, planning, and committing of these crimes has not only been proven but has also been confirmed by Iranian officials in multiple instances." The foundation noted that due to a lack of transparency, systematic official investigations, and independent field research, the exact number of victims of these crimes, which reaches at least 452 outside Iran, remains unclear. The published map by the foundation documents 861 cases of extrajudicial executions and 124 cases of death threats or attempts at abduction and assassination over 45 years. The report emphasizes that in Iran, perpetrators of these crimes remain unpunished, while those seeking truth and justice have been punished instead. It also states that countries where these crimes occurred have often failed to fulfill their duties to protect the victims' right to life and access to justice. A notable point in the report is the behavior of some countries despite being aware of the reasons and circumstances of these events, which, according to the foundation, have denied the public and victims access to accurate information and, in many cases, have refrained from arresting suspects, allowing detained suspects to leave those countries. The report indicates that the implementation and continuation of these policies have intensified the perception of impunity among perpetrators, paving the way for the repetition of these crimes and making the Iranian regime's sinister warnings to silence dissenters more effective. Francis Fukuyama stated that the alarming scope of Iran's transnational crimes challenges the foundations of liberal democracy and human rights worldwide. The Abdul Rahman Boroumand Foundation aims to support the victims' and society's right to know the truth and hold accountable those responsible for extrajudicial killings attributed to Iran or its agents. In this context, Francis Fukuyama, a senior fellow at Stanford University, commented on the foundation's interactive map, saying, "The alarming scope of Iran's transnational crimes challenges the foundations of liberal democracy and human rights worldwide. By documenting these violent acts from the United States to Germany, this map not only serves as a tool for accountability but also reminds us of how state power is misused to silence dissent across borders." He pointed out, "This indicates an urgent need for a united international response to protect individual freedoms and uphold the rule of law against such authoritarian interventions." The map created by the Abdul Rahman Boroumand Foundation aims to provide a better understanding of the nature and scope of unsuccessful assassinations and actions taken towards initiating abductions, as well as showcasing specific death threats against individuals, threats communicated directly or through others, the internet, phone, or social media. Roya Boroumand, the executive director of the Abdul Rahman Boroumand Foundation, expressed hope that this project, which exposes the global scope of the Islamic Republic's killings, abductions, and harassment, will encourage the international community to systematically monitor and investigate these crimes and prioritize transparency and justice for victims who have long been left in the dark. The report's authors emphasized that these warnings, which are less reported or ignored, and often precede the physical elimination of individuals inside and outside Iran, have a significant negative impact on the lives of targeted individuals and their families, and on society as a whole.