Freedom-loving Iranians and family members of the victims of Iran’s summer 1988 massacre continued their rallies in Stockholm on Friday, April 1, enduring the cold and snowy weather in their ongoing campaign of seeking justice in Iran. The demonstrators called on the international community to hold the mullahs’ regime in Tehran accountable for their ongoing human rights violations, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
The rallying Iranians on Saturday were chanting:
“1988 massacre saw 30,000 hangings! Raisi is the murderer of the 1988 massacre!”
“We will continue our struggle no matter what!”
“Raisi is a criminal!”
“Death to Khamenei and Raisi! Khomeini be damned!” referring to the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, President Ebrahim Raisi, the regime’s first supreme leader Ruhollah Khomeini.
April 1 – Stockholm
Freedom-loving Iranians & supporters of the Iranian opposition MEK, rallying outside the court session of Iranian regime operative Hamid Noury for justice on #1988Massacre.#ProsecuteRaisiNOWPart 2https://t.co/GmXkUCDxhG
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 1, 2022
These Iranians have for nearly a year been traveling from across Europe and endured the bitter cold winter season of Sweden, to voice their demands as an Iranian regime operative by the name of Hamid Noury is on trial for his role in the 1988 execution of 30,000 political prisoners , mostly members and supporters of the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). A verdict is expected this month.
April 1 – Stockholm
Freedom-loving Iranians & supporters of the Iranian opposition MEK, rallying outside the court session of Iranian regime operative Hamid Noury for justice on #1988Massacre.#ProsecuteRaisiNOWPart 3https://t.co/yFq5dyHfuY
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 1, 2022
More than 33 years ago, in the summer of 1988 the regime ruling Iran launched a massive killing spree in prisons across the country. Political prisoners from a variety of backgrounds were the target of a horrific campaign resulting in the mass killings that targeted minors, seniors, and even pregnant women.
Raisi was a member of the notorious “Death Commissions” in charge of holding minutes-long kangaroo “trials” determining the fates of thousands of political prisoners, many of whom had already served their prison sentences and were held behind bars specifically to be eventually executed. Khamenei should also be held accountable for his direct role in leading the regime’s atrocities and horrific human rights dossier.
April 1 – Stockholm
Freedom-loving Iranians & supporters of the Iranian opposition MEK, rallying outside the court session of Iranian regime operative Hamid Noury for justice on #1988Massacre.#ProsecuteRaisiNOWPart 1https://t.co/CsY0ysRMvx
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 1, 2022
The protesting Iranians in Stockholm are calling for the referral of the Iranian regime’s human rights dossier to the United Nations Security Council and thus to the International Criminal Court. Proper tribunals are necessary to hold Iranian regime officials accountable for their crimes against humanity.
Iran’s 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners has been described as the worst crime against humanity since World War II.
A former Iranian Intelligence Ministry deputy recorded a video clip in 2008, in which he revealed that the mullahs’ regime had massacred some 33,700 political prisoners and buried them in mass graves. According to Reza Malek, there are between 170 to 190 mass graves across the country.
Geoffrey Robertson, QC, who has thoroughly investigated the 1988 massacre, underscored that this mass killing amounts to “genocide.”
“It has been a crime to kill prisoners for centuries. The difference is that if it amounts to a particular crime of genocide, there is an international convention that binds countries to take action and punish that genocide,” he said in an online conference held in August of last year.
“It seems to me that there is very strong evidence that this was a genocide. It applies to killing or torturing a certain group for their religious beliefs. A religious group that did not accept the backward ideology of the Iranian regime,” Robertson added referring to Khomeini’s fatwa as the basis of the massacre.
“There is no doubt that there is a case for prosecuting Raisi and others. There has been a crime committed that engages international responsibility. Something must be done about it as has been done against the perpetrators of the Srebrenica massacre,” he reiterated.
