 |
|
|
|
|
How History will judge us |
| |
During the summer of 1988, thousands of Iranian political prisoners were taken from their cells and executed. All over Iran men and women were blindfolded and shot or hanged in exercise yards or prayer halls. None of them was taken to trial, instead they were asked a few questions by what became known as the “Death Commission” and sentenced to death according to their responses.(1) These prisoners had survived the mass executions of the early years of 1980s and were in the process of serving their long sentences.
There are no numbers of the exact amount of victims, as a result
of harsh censorship and a harsh political climate in Iran. But to this
day there are around 5,000 known names of victims which have been
documented by families, political parties and organizations. Many of
those who were killed had served their sentences, but were still in
prison as they would not agree to the conditions of their release.
Victims were either shot by a firing squad or were hanged.
Their bodies were buried in mass graves, the locations of which remain unknown. To this day, many families do not know where their loved ones are buried. The Islamic Republic of Iran refuses to give any information about where the graves are located, but a number of graves have been discovered by the families.The most well-known graves were found in Khavaran cemetery in the southwest suburbs of Tehran, the capital of Iran. Khavaran is an abandoned Bahai cemetery.
Over the years since these terrible massacres took place, family members of the victims, former political prisoners, opposition political parties and human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have attempted to bring to the attention of the world the murderous campaign of the Islamic Republic of Iran by various means; publishing statements and statistics, holding seminars and demonstrations.  |
| ............................................................................................................. |
Geoffrey Robertson: Ali Khamenei, Akbar Rafsanjani, Mir Hussein Mousavi and many others should be held accountable |
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, recent presidential candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi and a number of sitting and retired judges and officials, including former head of the Supreme Court, Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardebili, are all liable to arrest under international law for complicity in the murder of thousands of political prisoners 1980s. |
| To see the who argument please click here |
| .................................................................................. |
Destruction of mass graves
Between 9-16 January 2009, the Islamic regime of Iran destroyed by bulldozer, hundreds of of individual and mass, unmarked graves in Khavaran cemetery, south Tehran.The site was partially covered by soil and trees were planted. The Iranian authorities are aimed at destroying evidence of human rights violations and depriving the families of the victims of the 1980s killings of their right to truth, justice and reparation.
Background
Between August and September 1988, the Islamic regime carried out a massive wave of executions of political prisoners. There are no numbers of the exact amount of victims, as a result of harsh censorship and a harsh political climate in Iran. But, to this day, there are around 5,000 known names of victims. These prisoners had survived the mass executions of the early years of 1980s and were in the process of serving their long sentences. It is estimated that over 20000 political prisoners were killed in Iran between 1981 and 1988. |
We appeal to all freedom loving people of the world to pledge and donate their contributions toward this campaign |
For the first time in the contemporary history of Iran, an international campaign has been launched to investigate the mass executions of Iran’s political prisoners, and to hold the Islamic Republic of Iran accountable for its crimes against humanity during the1980s, and in particular, the summer of 1988. |
To see the whole announcement click here |
Press and Media Statement |
Media coverage is imperative. We urge all conventional and the Internet broadcasting media institutions such as The BBC, Al Jazeera, Sky News CNN, GRITtv, Deep Dish TV, Democracy Now, etc. to engage with this campaign.
It is also essential that the news of this campaign is spread as widely as possible. This can be achieved by posting links from Campaign’s website at www.irantribunal.com on your websites, blogs, twitter and faceBook.
To see the whole announcement click here |
Announcement |
|
(Campaign to set up an International Court to investigate
the massacre of political prisoners in Iran)
|
In the summer of 1988, the Islamic Republic of Iran massacred thousands of political prisoners across the country. Men and women were blindfolded and taken out of their cells and were either shot by a firing squad or were hanged within the prison compounds and prayer rooms. Not a single one of the prisoners was given a proper trial. Instead, a group who later became known as the “Death Commission” decided the fate of the prisoners on the basis of their answers to a few questions. There are no exact figures of the number of victims due to the harsh censorship and suppressive political climate in Iran.
To see the whole announcement click here
|
No peace for victims of Iranian revolution |
| |
The reports began to filter through in January this year. Reports of families finding their relatives’ graves bulldozed and obliterated, covered with mounds of earth and newly-planted trees. These vanished graves have apparently fallen victim to a plan designed to turn part of Kharavan cemetery in southern Tehran into a park.
Creating a park sounds like an innocent act, a way of improving the environment in a city which, until recently, was notorious for its polluted air. But for many people in Iran and overseas the landscaping activities in Kharavan are both distressing and sinister. |
|
| |
Khavaran mass graves under threat |
| |
| |
Last month, the Iranian authorities began bulldozing the site of mass graves in the district of Khavaran in southeast Tehran, planning to turn it into a public park. |
 |
| |
They have already covered a large area with soil - having possibly removed bones - and planted rows of trees. |
| |
In these unmarked graves lie thousands of political prisoners killed by the Islamic regime in the 1980s- most of them during |
| |
a secret mass massacre in the summer of 1988.Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to "immediately stop the destruction of hundreds of individual and mass, unmarked graves in Khavaran, south Tehran, to ensure that the site is preserved and to initiate a forensic investigation into the site as part of a long-overdue thorough, independent and impartial investigation into mass executions which began in 1988."
|
| |
|
| |
Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to "immediately stop the destruction of hundreds of individual and mass, unmarked graves in Khavaran, south Tehran, to ensure that the site is preserved and to initiate a forensic investigation into the site as part of a long-overdue thorough, independent and impartial investigation into mass executions which began in 1988."
Iranian human rights advocates, including Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, have also condemned the destruction of the graves. The Centre for the Defence of Human Rights, headed by Ebadi, issued a statement recently condemning "this ugly and appalling act and (noting) that everyone, including the authorities is required to maintain the dignity of the dead," according to Agence France-Presse.
|
| |
......................................................................................... |
| |
|
| |
Amnesty International: Preserve the Khavaran grave site for investigation into mass killings
Amnesty International calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately stop the destruction of hundreds of individual and mass, unmarked graves in Khavaran, south Tehran, to ensure that the site is preserved and to initiate a forensic investigation at the site as part of a long-overdue thorough, independent and impartial investigation into mass executions which began in 1988, often referred to in Iran as the “prison massacres”. The organization fears that these actions of the Iranian authorities are aimed at destroying evidence of human rights violations and depriving the families of the victims of the 1988 killings of their right to truth, justice and reparation.
Reports indicate that between 9-16 January 2009, the numerous ad hoc grave markings made by the families of some of those executed in previous years were destroyed by bulldozer. The site was at least partially covered by soil and trees were planted.
Amnesty International additionally calls on the Iranian government to act on its standing invitation to UN mechanisms and to facilitate the visit to the country of the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. In his visit he should be allowed to have an unhindered access to the Khavaran site with a view to indicating how best to conduct an investigation into the events of 1988, including in relation to the unmarked graves at Khavaran.
The Iranian authorities have the obligation to conduct an impartial investigation into the events and bring to justice those responsible for the “prison massacres” in fair proceedings and without recourse to the death penalty. Destruction of the site would impede any such future investigation and would violate the right of victims, including the families, to an effective remedy.
The Iranian authorities also have a responsibility to ensure that the body of anyone secretly buried who was not the victim of a crime is returned to his or her relatives. Destruction of the grave site would prevent this from happening and inflict further suffering on the families of the victims of the “prison massacres” who have been yearly commemorating the killing of their loved ones by gathering in Khavaran.
Background
Between August 1988 and February 1989, the Iranian authorities carried out a massive wave of executions of political prisoners – the largest since those carried out in the first and second year after the Iranian revolution in 1979.
In all, between 4,500 and 10,000 prisoners are believed to have been killed. Amnesty International has repeatedly called for those responsible for the “prison massacre” to be brought to justice in a fair trial without the death penalty.
For further information, see Iran: The 20th anniversary of 1988 "Prison Massacre", AI Index: MDE 13/118/2008, 19 August 2008,
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/118/2008/en , and Amnesty International’s report, Iran: Violations of human rights 1987-1990 (AI Index MDE 13/21/90). |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
