Javid Rahman: The 'Brutal Crimes' of the Islamic Republic are the Most Egregious Human Rights Violations in Our 'Living Memory'

Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, in a detailed report examined the 'brutal crimes' of the Islamic Republic of Iran from 1981 to 1982 and also in 1988 against Iranian citizens. According to the report published on Tuesday, July 23, these 'brutal crimes' consist of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, recognized as the 'most serious crimes against humanity.' In this 66-page report, Mr. Rahman details the 'arbitrary and extrajudicial executions' of thousands of opponents and political prisoners by the Islamic Republic, describing these acts as 'murder and slaughter' and 'a manifestation of crimes against humanity.' His methodology relies on five sources of testimony and interviews with witnesses, official government sources, UN documents and sources, documented evidence, and reports and documents from international organizations and expert contributions. The report also examines other crimes committed by the Islamic Republic against humanity, including torture, harassment, enforced disappearances, and inhumane actions causing immense pain and suffering, as well as inflicting physical and mental injuries on political prisoners. Javid Rahman also addresses the executions of prisoners, including a significant number of children and women prisoners, some of whom were sexually assaulted before execution. He analyzes the committed crimes against humanity, sexual and gender-based crimes against women and girls, as well as the harassment of religious and ethnic minorities (Baha'is, Christians, and Jews) and linguistic and ethnic groups (Kurds, Ahwazi Arabs, Turkmen, and Baluchis) during the first decade of the Islamic Republic's establishment. The UN Special Rapporteur dedicates a significant portion of his report on the 'brutal crimes' of the Islamic Republic to Khomeini's fatwa in the summer of 1988 and the subsequent massacre of political prisoners following sham and extrajudicial trials. According to the report, most of those executed were members of the People's Mojahedin Organization, but hundreds of leftist opponents of the Iranian government were also executed as a result of Khomeini's fatwa by 'death committees' and buried in nameless mass graves across Iran. Javid Rahman notes that the 'brutal crimes' committed by the Islamic Republic are 'the worst and most egregious human rights violations in our living memory,' through which high-ranking officials of the Iranian government, by planning and actively participating in organizing, ordering execution, and committing them, perpetrated crimes against humanity and genocide against their own citizens. The report states that despite the abundant evidence available, the perpetrators of these 'crimes' continue to hold power, and the international community has been unable or unwilling to hold them accountable, allowing these 'criminals' to enjoy governmental privileges and immunity from international justice and accountability. Javid Rahman reminds that survivors and witnesses of these 'crimes' continue to struggle with their psychological and emotional consequences, families of the disappeared are still searching for their loved ones, and victims and survivors expect the UN and members of the international community to assist in achieving justice and holding the criminals accountable. According to the UN Special Rapporteur, examining the crimes committed by the Islamic Republic in its first decade provides a clear picture of the egregious human rights violations by this government currently, and the continuation of issuing arbitrary and illegal sentences, including moharebeh (waging war against God) and ifsad fil-arz (corruption on earth) against political opponents, indicates this fact. In the final section of his report, Javid Rahman calls for the establishment of an independent international mechanism to urgently, impartially, comprehensively, and transparently address the crimes committed by the Islamic Republic in its first decade and hold accountable those who ordered and committed them. He also requests the international community to compel Iranian government officials to disclose fully and publicly the enforced disappearances and arbitrary executions in the first decade of the Islamic Republic, issue public apologies and accept responsibility for these crimes, stop the destruction of mass graves, provide information to families of victims about the burial sites of their loved ones, end the harassment of families seeking justice, and allow international human rights organizations access to the burial sites of the deceased. Javid Rahman has also called on world governments to prosecute the perpetrators and instigators of the 'brutal crimes' in Iran and issue arrest warrants against them.