Human Rights Defenders: Authorities Must End Intimidation of Truth Seekers Regarding the Executions of the 1980s

Amnesty International and 19 other organizations have issued a joint statement urging Iranian authorities to cease the violations of rights and intimidation of truth seekers regarding the executions of the 1980s. The statement reads, "Iranian authorities must end the harassment, intimidation, and prosecution of human rights defenders who are seeking truth and justice for individuals who were arbitrarily executed or disappeared." These human rights organizations further referenced the cases of Mansoureh Behnam, Maryam Akbari Monfared, Raheleh Rahimipour, and Ahmad Montazeri; individuals who, according to them, are peacefully seeking information about their loved ones or have published information on the subject. Ms. Rahimipour is the sister of someone reportedly executed around 1984. She is actually searching for her nephew, who was born in Evin prison, but apparently, there is no information about his fate. United Nations human rights experts reported in December that following their request for information from Tehran on this matter, Raheleh Rahimipour was "arrested." Maryam Akbari Monfared also lost her brothers and sister during the executions of the 1980s. Mansoureh Behnam is a member of the "Supporters of Mourning Mothers" group and has stated that she lost six family members in the executions following the revolution. Raha Bahraini from Amnesty International told Radio Farda that "Ms. Rahimipour and Ms. Behnam are facing security charges, and Ms. Akbari Monfared, who is currently in prison, has faced retaliatory actions such as deprivation of medical services for writing a request for information regarding the executions." A large number of political prisoners in Iran were executed during the months of Mordad and Shahrivar in 1988. The exact number of those executed is unclear. Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri estimated the number of executions in his memoirs to be between 2,800 and 3,800. Human rights defenders have reported this figure to be close to five thousand. Last August, a website associated with Mr. Montazeri published an audio file in which he refers to the 1988 executions as "the greatest crime of the Islamic Republic" during a meeting with some judicial officials of the time. The human rights organizations that published the recent statement also referenced this audio file, stating that following its release, a wave of new prosecutions and pressures on truth seekers began. Ahmad Montazeri, the son of Ayatollah Montazeri, was sentenced to six years in prison following the release of the same audio file. Ahmad Montazeri's name is also mentioned in the statement from the 20 organizations. Ms. Bahraini states that these non-governmental organizations "are deeply concerned about these developments" and have called on Iranian authorities to overturn the sentences issued against Ms. Rahimipour, Ms. Akbari Monfared, and Mr. Montazeri and to close the existing case against Ms. Behnam. At the same time, they have requested that Iranian authorities guarantee information retrieval regarding the executions by the families of the victims. Amnesty International, Article 19, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation, and several organizations defending the rights of ethnic groups in Iran are among the signatories of the recent statement.