Shirin Ebadi: Forgiveness is Meaningless While Criminals are in Power

Shirin Ebadi, head of the Human Rights Defenders Center and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has commented on the issue of forgiveness or justice for those officials of the Islamic Republic involved in "political crimes," stating that as long as criminals remain in power, discussions of forgiveness are meaningless. In an interview with "Alliance for Iran," Ms. Ebadi emphasized the importance of justice in Iran and the necessity of uncovering the truth about the "political crimes" committed in past years, asserting that any decisions regarding the implementation of justice or forgiveness of criminals should be related to the time of power transfer to the people. She stressed, "While political opponents are still in prison, it is absurd to ask them to forgive their jailers and those responsible for their situation. Such a demand is truly ridiculous." She added, "From someone whose brother, sister, father, or mother has been killed, and whose murderers are still in power, asking them to forgive the criminals is indeed a ridiculous request. This question can only be raised when victims have the right to choose between justice and forgiveness." Political activists state that thousands were executed in the Islamic Republic's courts during the 1980s. In this context, an audio file was released in August of this year from Ayatollah Montazeri, related to his meeting with some judicial officials of the Islamic Republic in August 1988. Ayatollah Montazeri referred to the executions of 1988 in Iran as the "greatest crime of the Islamic Republic." Regarding the rehabilitation of political actors, Ms. Ebadi rejected the notion that some political figures in Iran accused of involvement in crimes have been rehabilitated, stating, "Who says these individuals have been rehabilitated? For example, in the case of Mr. Rafsanjani's death, many said they would not forget his past behaviors. They stated they would not forget the events of the 1980s and 1990s. Even at his funeral, many who attended did so not to honor him but to express opposition to the authoritarian regime." She continued, "Look at the slogans that were raised. Therefore, raising such a question is incorrect. Which rehabilitation? No one has been rehabilitated. Rehabilitation will occur when the truths are revealed and each person's responsibility is clarified." Shirin Ebadi reiterated the necessity of having an independent judiciary, stating, "We have never had an independent judiciary in Iran, especially after the revolution. The reason for the five-minute shows and the executions on the roof of the Refah School was that we did not have independent courts and independent judges. The reason for these atrocities that have continued for years is that we do not have a judiciary." She added, "Today, when our freedom-loving individuals are in prison, it is due to the lack of independence of our judiciary. The first step to prevent crimes against humanity from being repeated in Iran is to ensure that our courts, judges, and judicial system are independent. In any country, the economic system may become corrupt, security agents may act unlawfully, and political powers may oppress the weak, but if the judiciary is independent, there will be a place to address the people's grievances and restore their rights." She also stated, "Our problem is that we do not have courts at all. What exists is merely a display and decoration of courts. These courts are, in fact, a mockery of justice. In Iran, every street corner has been named after a martyr, but it must be said that the real martyr of this revolution was justice. In the 1979 revolution, it was justice that was sacrificed, and we must weep for its absence until today."