UN Special Rapporteur, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Former Parliamentarians and Human Rights Defenders Join “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign in Its 142nd Week 13 October 2026 — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE An international wave of solidarity with political prisoners in Iran is gathering momentum today, Tuesday 13 October, as prominent human rights defenders, a United Nations
London, 5 October 2026 — Iranian authorities are demolishing Gohardasht Prison in Karaj, also known as Raja’i Shahr Prison, one of the principal sites of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. State television broadcast the first phase of the demolition on 13 September 2026. On 4 October 2026, authorities tore down remaining watchtowers. The work
Iran demolishing Gohardasht Prison to erase a crime scene of the 1988 massacre Read More »
A Steadfast Champion of Human Rights and Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) expresses its profound sorrow and pays a solemn tribute to Professor Jean Ziegler, who passed away on 10 June 2026 at the age of 92. Professor Ziegler
In Memoriam: Professor Jean Ziegler (1934 – 2026) Read More »
London, 20 April 2026: Iranian political prisoners Hamed Validi and Nima Shahi (Mohammad Masoum Shahi) were executed at dawn on Monday in Karaj Central Prison for membership in the opposition People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI or MEK). Validi, 45, a civil engineer, and Shahi, 38, a technician, were abruptly transferred from their ward Sunday
Iran executes political prisoners Hamed Validi and Nima Shahi Read More »
London, 6 April 2026: The Iranian authorities have in recent days begun the systematic execution of political prisoners and anti-government protesters. State media is announcing new cases on a daily basis in an apparent bid to intimidate the public and prevent further protests. This morning, Ali Fahim, has hanged for his role in the January
Iran starts to execute political activists on a daily basis Read More »
London, 31 March 2026: Iranian authorities executed two more political prisoners on Tuesday for membership in the opposition People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI or MEK) and for “attempting to overthrow the Islamic Republic”, one day after hanging two others from the same group. Babak Alipour, 34, and Pouya Ghobadi, 32, were hanged this morning,
Iran executes two more political prisoners for links to opposition group Read More »
London, 30 March 2026: Iranian authorities executed two political prisoners on Monday for membership in the opposition People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI or MEK) and for “attempting to overthrow the Islamic Republic”, the judiciary announced. “After confirmation and final approval of the sentence by the Supreme Court, Akbar Daneshvarkar and Mohammad Taghavi-Sangdehi were hanged
Iran executes two political prisoners for links to opposition group Read More »
On 29 September 2025, five United Nations Special Procedures wrote to the Iranian authorities raising concern over the destruction and desecration of the mass grave site in Section 41 of Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery in Tehran. This grave site holds the remains of thousands of political prisoners executed during the 1980s, most likely including those of
UN raises concern over destruction of graves of political prisoners of the 1980s in Iran Read More »
Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) Press Release | London – 19 November 2025 Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) welcomes today’s landmark vote at the United Nations General Assembly’s Third Committee adopting resolution A/C.3/80/L.30, which for the first time acknowledges the 1988 massacre of thousands of political prisoners in Iran. This step should have occurred long ago. UN Member States should now take urgent
Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) has co-signed a joint written statement submitted by 27 NGOs to the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. A/HRC/60/NGO/164 calls on the international community to take urgent action to prevent a repeat of the 1988 massacre in the Islamic Republic of
London, 21 August 2025 – Iranian authorities deployed bulldozers and security personnel on 11 August 2025 to flatten Section 41 of Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery—one of the most significant burial sites for thousands of political prisoners executed in the 1980s. Tehran’s Deputy Mayor, Davoud Goudarzi, publicly confirmed on 19 August 2025 that the area had been converted
Iranian authorities confirm destruction of graves of executed political prisoners Read More »
London, 16 August 2025 – Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) expresses grave concern over the recent destruction of Section 41 of Behesht Zahra Cemetery in Tehran. On 11 August 2025, Iranian authorities, deployed bulldozers, heavy machinery, and security personnel to flatten one of the most historically significant burial areas
Iran Destroying Graves of Political Prisoners in Behesht Zahra Cemetery Read More »
London, 8 August 2025: Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) is alarmed by credible reports that five Iranian political prisoners have been violently transferred this morning from Fashafooyeh Prison in Tehran to Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, a facility frequently used for carrying out political executions. According to information relayed
Portraits of slain Iranians are displayed in an area of Esplanades des Invalides in Paris on July 8. (Delphine Touitou/AFP/Getty Images)
9 July 2025, London – Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) strongly condemns a deeply disturbing editorial published on 7 July 2025 by Fars News Agency, a state-affiliated outlet linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which openly calls for the repetition of the mass executions carried out in
Iran’s State Media Calls for Repetition of 1988 Massacre, JVMI Urges UN Action Read More »
London, 16 April 2025: Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) urgently calls for international action to prevent the execution of five political prisoners who are risk of transfer from Evin Prison, Tehran, to Qezelhessar Prison (a.k.a. Qezel Hesar and Ghezel Hesar), a facility notorious for carrying out executions of political
5 Death Row Political Prisoners Risk Transfer to Qezel Hesar Execution Site in Iran Read More »
London, 15 April 2025: Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) has reviewed a newly surfaced audio recording, reported by BBC Persian on 14 April 2025, which provides additional insight into the systematic mass execution of political prisoners in Iran during the summer of 1988. This recording, part of a second
New Audio Evidence Reveals Further Details of Iran’s 1988 Massacre Read More »
London, 4 April 2025 – Hossein-Ali Nayyeri, the former head of the Tehran Death Commission, responsible for the extrajudicial execution and enforced disappearance of thousands of political prisoners during the 1988 massacre in Iran, has died, state media reported on 3 April 2025. Nayyeri was never held accountable for his role in the 1988 massacre,
Hossein-Ali Nayyeri, Former Head of the Tehran Death Commission, Dies Read More »
London, 12 October 2024: Maryam Akbari-Monfared, a political prisoner who has spent the last 15 years incarcerated in Iran, should have been released today, 12 October 2024. She has been relentlessly seeking justice for her siblings who were executed during the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. However, due to an additional two-year sentence imposed on
Iran: Maryam Akbari-Monfared Remains Jailed Despite Completing 15-Year Sentence Read More »
PROFILES OF THE 346 SIGNATORIES August 2024 Dear High Commissioner, We, current and former UN and international human rights and legal experts and organisations as well as Nobel laureates and statesmen serving democracy and human rights, write following the publication of a landmark report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
Open letter to UN High Commissioner Volker Türk Read More »
On Wednesday, 7 August 2024, Iranian authorities executed 29 prisoners in a single day, marking a significant escalation in state-sanctioned executions. The executions, including 26 that were carried out en masse, occurred in Qezelhessar and Karaj Central Prisons, with two women among those executed. This comes amid growing concerns over the authorities’ intensified crackdown on
Iran Executes 29 Prisoners in One Day Amidst Political Crackdown Read More »
London, 22 July 2024: Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) welcomes the landmark report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran on the 1988 massacre and Iran’s other atrocity crimes published for the first time today on the UN website. The 66-page report by UN Special Rapporteur Prof. Javaid
Verbatim text of remarks by UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Prof. Javaid Rehman, at a JVMI side event in Geneva on 19 June 2024, announcing a new landmark report on Iran’s atrocity crimes: Thank you chair. It is a great privilege and honour for me to be talking to you this afternoon. I take a
Text of remarks by UN Special Rapporteur on Iran at JVMI panel in Geneva on 19 June 2024 Read More »
Geneva, 19 June 2024 – In a conference held on Wednesday in Geneva, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran, Prof. Javaid Rehman, presented a new landmark report titled “Atrocity Crimes and Grave Violations of Human Rights Committed by the Islamic Republic of Iran (1981–1982 and 1988).” This report marks the first extensive UN investigation
Landmark UN Report Seeks Accountability for Iran’s 1988 Massacre Read More »
London, 15 June 2024 – Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) strongly condemns the release by the government of Sweden of Hamid Noury, a perpetrator of the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran. In 2022, using the principle of universal jurisdiction, the Stockholm District Court found former Iranian
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: JVMI [email protected] Citing Grave Human Rights Abuses, 45 Officials Urge UN to Stand with Victims London – 29 May 2024 – A coalition of 45 distinguished current and former United Nations Ambassadors, Judges, experts, and officials have issued an urgent open letter addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and General Assembly
London, 20 May 2024 – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a key perpetrator of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners, died in a helicopter crash on 19 May 2024. His death deprives the families of as many as 30,000 victims of the 1988 mass extra-legal executions and enforced disappearances, of seeing justice served against him. In
Ebrahim Raisi, perpetrator of Iran’s 1988 massacre, dies in helicopter crash Read More »
London, 2 April 2024 – A group of 77 current and former United Nations special procedure mandate-holders and commissioners and experts of UN-mandated investigative bodies on Tuesday wrote to the President of the Human Rights Council and the Council’s Member and Observer States, supporting the renewal of the mandates of the UN Special Rapporteur on
Verbatim transcript of remarks by Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, Director of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), at a Civil Society Hearing on the 1988 Massacre in Iran – 15 February 2024, Geneva: Hello! Good morning. I really want to apologize to you for not joining you in person. I am Baroness Helena
Verbatim transcript of remarks by Prof. Kevin Jon Heller, Special Adviser on War Crimes to the Prosecutor of the international Criminal Court (ICC) at a Civil Society Hearing on the 1988 Massacre in Iran – 15 February 2024, Geneva: In the brief time I have today, I want to touch on two issues: (1) what
