It Time for the truth, justice, and accountability for 1988 massacre in Iran.

 on the memorial of 30,000 fallen red flowers

By Arash Nikzad 

In 1988, the Iranian regime slaughtered 30,000 INNOCENT political prisoners based on a fatwa from former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini. He issued the fatwa to cover up his regime defeat in eight years’ war with Iraq, after declaring his acceptance to 598 united nation security council resolution and a bloody revenge from his main opposition MEK/PMOI and his surrounding to the international community demands for cease fire in Iran, Iraq war.  As a result, They judiciary system of the government organized “Death Commissions” who would determine in two-minute trials to implement Khomeini decree and annihilate the dissident and buried their bodies in secret mass graves.
If the political prisoner refused to deny their beliefs, swear allegiance to the Regime, and cause harm to fellow prisoners; they would be killed regardless of their age, whether their sentence had already been completed, or even whether they were pregnant.
The perpetrators remain unpunished, up to now, many of them still holding high-ranking positions within the Regime, including:

- Former Justice Minister Mustafa Pour-Mohammadi, a Death Commission member in the city of Tehran, who was “proud” of his involvement in 1988 massacre during his interview with the state TV.
-Current Justice Minister Alireza Avaie, a Death Commission member in the city of Dezful, who is on the European Union's sanctions list for human rights violations from two years ago.
- Member of the Regime’s Parliament and Chair of its Committee on Social Affairs Salman Khodadadi, a Death Commission member

- Former Presidental   Candidate, member of the powerful State Expediency Discernment Council and prosecutor of the special court of the clergy Ebrahim Raisi, and chief of a wealth economic entity “Astan Quds Razavi” and member of Death Commission  in Tehran
- Vice-President of the Judiciary on legal affairs Ali Razini, a Death Commission member
-Head of the Supreme Disciplinary Court for Judges and Deputy Head of the National Supreme Court, Hossein-Ali Nayyeri, who was Head of the Tehran Death Commission
- Member of the Assembly of Experts, Mohammad-Hossein Ahmadi Shahroodi, a Death Commission member
- Supreme Court judge Gholamreza Khalaf Zare, a Death Commission member

We call on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, HE Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein to order a Commission of Inquiry into the 1988 massacre based on the UN Economic and Social Council Resolution 1989/65 which states in principle 11: “In cases in which the established investigative procedures are inadequate because of lack of expertise or impartiality, because of the importance of the matter or because of the apparent existence of a pattern of abuse, and in cases where there are complaints from the family of the victim about these inadequacies or other substantial reasons, Governments shall pursue investigations through an independent commission of inquiry or similar procedure. Members of such a commission shall be chosen for their recognized impartiality, competence and independence as individuals. In particular, they shall be independent of any institution, agency or person that may be the subject of the inquiry.”