(Doc. No. 153)
Montazeri’s letter to Khomeini in protest to the execution of prisoners who were serving their sentences!
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,
His Exalted Eminence Imam Khomeini,
With greetings, T would like to inform Your Eminence of the following regarding your recent decree for the execution of the Monafcqin [Mojahedin] who remain in prisons.
The nation apparently tolerates the execution of those arrested in the recent incidents with no adverse consequences; hut the execution of those who were already in prison has the following consequences:
1. These executions are perceived as an act of vengeance and a vendetta, considering the present state of affairs;
2. Many families, even those who are pious and revolutionary, are distressed and aggrieved by these executions, and have turned their hacks to our regime;
3. Many of the prisoners who are not holding fast to their views are being treated by the officious as if they were;
4. At a time when under the attacks and pressure of Saddam and the Monafeqin [Mojahedin], we are attracting some sympathy around the world and many newspapers and personalities are defending us, it is unwise for the regime and yourself to have the propaganda turned against us;
5. While these people have been sentenced by our courts to prison terms, to execute them without any process and new activity is a complete disregard for all judicial standards and rulings. This will not reflect well on our regime;
6. Our judicial officials, prosecutors and intelligence officials are not perfect and
There is plenty of opportunity for mistakes and unduly influenced decisions. With Your Eminence’s recent decree, many people who have light charges or are innocent are executed;
7. We have not so far benefited from these killings and violence. We have only stirred more propaganda against ourselves and we have increased the appeal of the Monafeqin [Mojahedin] and the counter-revolutionaries.
It is appropriate to treat them with mercy for a time so as to attract the sympathy of many of them;
8. If you insist on your decree, then at least issue an order so that the judge, the prosecutor and the intelligence official would have to reach a consensus for execution. They must particularly spare women with children.
The execution of several thousand prisoners in a few days will not have positive repercussions and wife not be mistake-free. Even some of our religious judges were very distressed by this.
Hossein-Ali Montazeri
July 31, 1988
A few days later, a judge from Khuzestan by the name of Hojjat ol-Islam Mohammad Hussein Ahmadi came to see me and was very distressed. He told me: “Over there, they are executing them with great speed. They conjure up a majority vote out of the three-member panel. They are angry about the Monafegin’s operation, but are venting their anger on the prisoners,” I conveyed what he told me in the following letter to the Imam;
(Doc. No. 154)
Montazei’s second letter to Khomeini,
Date: August 2, 1988,
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,
His Exalted Eminence Imam Khomeini,
With greetings, pursuant to my letter of July 31, 1988, I write the following out of my sense of religious duty: Three days ago, a religious judge from one of the provinces, who is a trustworthy man, came to see me in Qom and was in great distress because of the way Your Eminence’s decree is being implemented. He said: The intelligence chief or the prosecutor (I forgot which) was trying to ascertain if a prisoner was still holding fast to his beliefs. He asked the prisoner if he was prepared to condemn the Monafèqin [Mojahedin], he said, “Yes.” He asked him: “Are you willing to go to the front to fight in the war with Iraq?” He said, “Yes.” They asked, “Are you willing to walk over mines*?” He said, “Do you mean all the people are willing to walk over mines? Moreover, you must not have such high expectations from someone who has just changed his views.”
They said, “It is obvious that you are still holding on to your political beliefs,” and dealt with him in the same way they dealt with those who had held onto their previous political positions (and executed him).
The judge told me how much he insisted that the verdict be issued by consensus, or a majority, but this was not accepted, because it is the intelligence official who has absolute control and others are under his influence. Your Eminence can see what types of persons are implementing your grave decree that affects the lives of thousands of prisoners.
Hossein-Ali Montazeri
* By ‘walk over mines, “the prosecutor was referring to the commonly used tactics of the revolution Guards in the Iran-Iraq war of Sending wares of bogy soldiers across minefields to clear the way ’for The Guards’ advance. Hundreds of thousands 0/young Iranians Perished in these “human ware” attacks.
But I noticed that they were still continuing the executions. On the first day of [the lunar month of] Moharram*, I summoned Mr. Nayyeri, the religious judge of Evin, Mr. Eshraqi, the prosecutor, Mr. Raissi, the deputy prosecutor, and Mr. Pour-Mohammadi, the Intelligence Ministry representative. I told them: “It is Moharram, now. At least halt the executions during this month.”
Mr. Nayyeri replied: “We have executed 750 prisoners in Tehran and separated 200 others as those who are sticking to their views. Once we finish off this lot, you can order as you wish…”
I became much dismayed and made several points and gave them a copy of the main points
in the form of a memorandum
