Amnesty International: Concealing the Fate of Victims of 67 is an Ongoing Crime Against Humanity

Amnesty International states that hiding the fate of thousands of political opponents killed during the executions of 1988 by the Iranian authorities is an "ongoing crime against humanity." In a report titled "Blood-Stained Secrets: Why the Massacre of 1988 in Iran is an Ongoing Crime Against Humanity," Amnesty International has called on the United Nations to establish an independent investigative mechanism to investigate the disappearances and executions of 1988. The executions of political prisoners in 1988 occurred in the summer of that year, reportedly in Evin and Gohardasht prisons in Tehran, as well as in prisons in Mashhad, Shiraz, Ahvaz, and several other cities in Iran. The exact number of victims remains unclear; some estimate at least three thousand, while others claim over five thousand. Two years ago, some activists referred to a report by Amnesty International indicating that at least 4,482 men went "missing" within two months. Despite some researchers and scholars, including Ervand Abrahamian, referring to the widespread executions of 1988 as the "most astonishing" political event in contemporary Iran, the official authorities of the Islamic Republic have not only refrained from disclosing details about these executions but have also failed to respond to many questions from the families of the victims. Amnesty International, thirty years after these executions, has addressed the issue of "concealment" in its 200-page report. Amnesty states, "The shadow of these blood-stained secrets from the past still looms over today's Iran." According to Philip Luther, the director of research at this human rights organization, the new report sheds light on a "network of denial and distortion" that Iranian officials have presented regarding the 1988 executions for over 30 years, both inside and outside Iran, to keep the truth hidden. Luther stated, "The fact that Iranian officials refuse to acknowledge their mass killings, do not inform the families of the deceased why and how their relatives were killed, do not identify and return their bodies... means that this crime against humanity continues." In fact, even at the time of the executions, many families were completely unaware. Available statements and reports indicate that during that time, visits with prisoners were cut off, and families who insisted were sometimes told that their loved ones had been transferred to another prison. Monireh Baradaran, a political prisoner from the 1980s and author of the books "Simple Truth" and "Against Oblivion," told Radio Farda that prisoners' communication with the outside world was completely severed, and it was only after the executions that families learned of the killings, emphasizing that "no one is allowed to hold ceremonies" and "to this day, the date, burial place, and reasons for the executions remain unknown to the families." Amnesty International also reiterated the need for "international action" in its report, stating that the fact that the UN Human Rights Commission has not taken action to condemn the executions and that the issue has not been referred to the Security Council has allowed Iranian officials to continue "denying the facts and harassing families." Amnesty International has called for the establishment of a transparent, independent, and effective mechanism to bring "the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice." In August 2016, the website of Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, the ousted deputy of Ayatollah Khomeini, published an audio file from him dated August 15, 1988, in which the cleric referred to the 1988 executions in Iran as "the greatest crime of the Islamic Republic." However, following the release of this file, several figures, institutions, and officials of the Islamic Republic reacted to it, describing it as an "attack" on Ayatollah Khomeini and "whitewashing the enemies of the Iranian nation."