1988 Massacre

Iranian political prisoner Maryam Akbari Monfared

Political Prisoner Seeking Justice Over Iran’s 1988 Massacre Is Exiled To Semnan

April 19, 2021

The Iranian Judiciary on 10 March 2021 forcibly transferred political prisoner Maryam Akbari Monfared from Evin Prison in the capital Tehran to a prison more than 200 kilometres away in Semnan in an attempt to silence her calls for justice over the 1988 massacre. Ms. Akbari Monfared, whose siblings were among the victims of the …

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UN Geneva

JVMI Leads Successful Advocacy at Human Rights Council for UN Probe into Iran’s 1988 Massacre

April 15, 2021

Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) led a successful advocacy project at the 46th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council throughout February-March 2021. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which has limited JVMI’s ability to conduct face-to-face meetings as in previous years, we were able to promote the call …

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U.S. Congress Resolution Seeks UN Inquiry into Iran’s 1988 Massacre

April 19, 2021

More than a third of Members of the United States House of Representatives have co-sponsored a bi-partisan resolution on Iran referencing the 1988 massacre of political prisoners and calling for the establishment of a United Nations Commission of Inquiry into the extrajudicial killings. House Resolution 118 was initially introduced on February 11, 2021 with 113 original co-sponsors. Support …

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Mohammad-Hossein-Saffar-Harrandi

Top Iranian Official Defends 1988 Massacre of Political Prisoners in Iran – February 2021

March 14, 2021

Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi, a member of Iran’s powerful Expediency Discernment Council, defended the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in an interview with Iranian state television on 23 February 2021. He told Channel 3’s Bedouneh Tavaqof program that the victims deserved to be killed. Saffar Harandi, a retired Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) General, is a former Islamic …

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JVMI Joins 20 NGOs at UN Human Rights Council Calling for Commission of Inquiry Into Iran’s 1988 Massacre

March 15, 2021

Today, 25 February 2021, a joint written statement by 20 NGOs, including Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI), was circulated at the Human Rights Council, calling for a United Nations Commission of Inquiry into the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Link to original source: …

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Michelle Bachelet Urged To Launch UN Commission of Inquiry Into Iran’s 1988 Massacre

February 22, 2021

Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) called on the United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet to launch a Commission of Inquiry into the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran on the eve of the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. At a virtual press …

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Khamenei Defends Fatwa Ordering 1988 Massacre in Iran

February 1, 2021

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has published a book in which he defends the order given by his predecessor Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini leading to the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran. Khamenei’s remarks are included in a book called the ‘Leader’s Narrative’ (“Revayate Rahbari”), published in July 2019 by the Institute for Preserving …

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No Remorse. Iran’s State Media Say Victims of 1988 Massacre “Should Have Been Executed 10 Times Over”

January 28, 2021

Iran’s state media have given blanket coverage to an ominous statement announcing that the victims of the 1988 massacre “should have been executed 10 times over.” On 26 January 2021, the state-run Mashregh News website, affiliated to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), carried the headline: “They should have been executed 10 times over.” The news agency …

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Hojatoleslam Mohammad Niazi, a Supreme Court Judge in Iran

Iran Supreme Court Judge Says Opponents Can Be Hanged ‘Without a Trial’

January 27, 2021

Hojatoleslam Mohammad Niazi, a Supreme Court Judge in Iran, says government opponents may be executed without a trial, based on a fatwa handed down in 1988 by the Islamic Republic’s founder Ruhollah Khomeini. Judge Niazi made the statement in an interview with the state-run Shabestan News Agency on 29 July 2020 about the execution of political …

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Source: AP Photo/Ronald Zak

Townhall Publishes JVMI Op-Ed on Trial in Sweden of Perpetrator of Iran’s 1988 Massacre

January 20, 2021

Townhall on 19 January 2021 published an op-ed by Tahar Boumedra of JVMI pointing out that the trial in Sweden of a perpetrator of Iran’s 1988 massacre is a historical reminder to criminals and mass murderers that their time in court will come. The following is the full text of the article: Source: https://townhall.com/columnists/taharboumedra/2021/01/19/pleading-for-justice-to-the-victims-of-1988-mass-executions-of-political-prisoners-in-iran-n2583360 Townhall …

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Remembering the victims of Iran's 1988 massacre - Paris, France

JVMI Op-Ed Published in NEWSWEEK Calling for UN Commission of Inquiry into 1988 Massacre in Iran

January 20, 2021

Newsweek on 15 January 2021 published an op-ed by the JVMI calling on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to launch a Commission of Inquiry into the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran. The following is the full text of the article: Source: https://www.newsweek.com/iran-massacre-1988-1561985 NEWSWEEK It’s Not Too Late To Hold Iran’s Regime …

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Michelle Bachelet UN

Call for a UN Commission of Inquiry Into Iran’s 1988 Massacre

April 19, 2021

Mass murderers are currently running Iran’s Judiciary. Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi was previously identified by JVMI as a key member of the 1988 Death Commissions that extra-judicially sent tens of thousands of political prisoners to their death. In September 2020, seven United Nations experts sent a letter to the Iranian authorities reiterating that the 1988 …

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Iran EU flags

Europe’s Inaction Is Fueling Impunity In Iran

January 2, 2021

In an op-ed for Eurasia Review on 1 January 2021, Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) urged the European Union to request a United Nations investigation into the 1988 massacre and to impose sanctions on its perpetrators. Source: https://www.eurasiareview.com/01012021-europes-inaction-is-fueling-impunity-in-iran-oped/ Europe’s Inaction Is Fueling Impunity In Iran Eurasia Review – January …

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UK Human Rights Minister Urges Iran to Allow Investigation of 1988 Massacre

December 28, 2020

United Kingdom Human Rights Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon has called on the Iranian government to allow United Nations Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehman access to the country so that he could conduct research and investigations including into the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. The Foreign Office was replying to a written question tabled in Parliament …

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EU High Representative Responds To Question About Iran’s 1988 Massacre

March 14, 2021

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has responded to a question from a Member of the European Parliament concerning the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran. On 6 October 2020, Italian lawmaker Elena Lizzi MEP submitted a question for written answer, with the subject: “Quest for the truth regarding crimes against humanity …

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December 2020: UN experts echo call for international investigation into Iran’s 1988 massacre

April 19, 2021

Seven United Nations experts have sent a letter to the Iranian authorities stating that the 1988 massacre of thousands of political prisoners could amount to “crimes against humanity” and vowing to call for an international investigation into the mass murders if the authorities continue to refuse to uphold their obligations under international human rights law. …

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Joint written statement on Iran's 1988 massacre

21 NGOs appeal to UN to investigate Iran’s 1988 massacre

February 25, 2021

Twenty-one NGOs have issued a joint appeal to the United Nations to launch an investigation into Iran’s 1988 massacre of thousands of political prisoners. The statement was submitted to the 45th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The following is the full text of the NGOs’ statement: Link to original source: https://undocs.org/A/HRC/45/NGO/139 A/HRC/45/NGO/139 Distr.: …

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Relatives of victims of Iran's 1988 massacre forcibly dispersed from Khavaran Cemetery in Tehran - 28 August 2020

Iranian authorities forcibly disperse grieving relatives of 1988 massacre victims from cemetery

September 9, 2020

Grieving mothers of the victims of Iran’s 1988 massacre gathered on 28 August 2020 at the site of a known mass grave in Tehran to commemorate and mourn their loved ones who were executed in what is known as Iran’s greatest ‘crime against humanity.’ Relatives of the victims of the 1988 massacre gathered in Khavaran …

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US State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

US: Enforced disappearances related to 1988 massacre continue unabated in Iran

September 9, 2020

The enforced disappearances of thousands of political dissidents perpetrated by the government of Iran, in what became known as the 1988 massacre, continue unabated, as Iran continues to conceal the fate and the whereabouts of the victims, the United States State Department announced on August 30, 2020. The US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human …

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Tahar Boumedra

Tahar Boumedra tells global summit it’s time for UN to probe the 1988 massacre

September 9, 2020

Tahar Boumedra of Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI) told an online global summit about the 1988 massacre that it is high time for the United Nations to launch an independent investigation into this unpunished crime against humanity. Boumedra, a former head of the UN human rights office in Iraq, …

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Media coverage of Iran’s 1988 massacre this past week

September 9, 2020

Numerous articles have been published in the international media in the past week about the need for a United Nations investigation into the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran. The articles were written by survivors of the 1988 massacre, relatives of the victims and international lawmakers. The human rights group Amnesty International also tweeted …

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Morgan Ortagus

US State Department calls for international investigation into Iran’s 1988 massacre

April 19, 2021

United States State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus on 15 July 2020 called on the international community to conduct independent investigations into the 1988 massacre and to provide accountability and justice. She said: “July 19th marks the anniversary of the start of Iran’s so-called ‘Death Commissions.’ On the orders of Ayatollah Khomeini, these commissions reportedly forcibly …

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NGOs urge UN to end impunity over Iran’s 1988 massacre

August 14, 2019

A group of seven NGOs have called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to end the impunity enjoyed by Iranian officials over the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners. In a joint written statement to the Human Rights Council’s 40th session, the NGOs urged High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to support the …

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Amnesty International has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to address the "crisis of impunity" resulting from Iran's "ongoing crimes against humanity".

Amnesty International urges UN to investigate Iran’s 1988 massacre

August 14, 2019

Amnesty International has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to address the “crisis of impunity” resulting from Iran’s “ongoing crimes against humanity”. In a written statement to the Human Rights Council’s 40th session, Amnesty International urged Member States to investigate Iran’s 1988 massacre of thousands of political prisoners with a view to ensuring that …

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NGO written statement

Nine NGOs urge UN to investigate Iran’s 1988 massacre of political prisoners

August 14, 2019

A group of nine non-governmental organisations submitted a joint written statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 39th session, urging the global human rights body to launch an investigation into Iran’s 1988 massacre of some 30,000 political prisoners. Joint written statement “A/HRC/39/NGO/145” was circulated to UN Member States on 5 September 2018. The following …

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Victims of Iran's 1988 massacre of political prisoners

December 2018: Amnesty International’s report on the 1988 massacre

December 19, 2020

In December 2018, Amnesty International published a 201-page report “Blood-soaked secrets: Why Iran’s 1988 prison massacres are ongoing crimes against humanity” calling on the UN to set up an independent investigation to help bring those responsible for these abhorrent crimes to justice. The report said: “Amnesty International’s research leaves the organization in no doubt that, …

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Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi's interview with Iran’s state-run Mosalas magazine - July 24, 2019

Excerpts of Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi’s interview with Iran’s Mosalas magazine – July 24, 2019

December 19, 2020

The following is an English translation of Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi’s remarks to Iran’s state-run weekly magazine Mosalas about the 1988 massacre: Question: A major accusation against the Islamic Republic, which is usually picked up by foreign news organizations, relates to the issue of the ‘Hypocrites’ (the regime’s derogatory phrase used to describe the People’s Mojahedin, PMOI or …

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Iranian authorities destroy mass grave of victims of the 1988 massacre in Ahvaz

August 15, 2018

On 20 July 2018, the families of the victims of the 1988 massacre and eyewitnesses who had gone to visit the graves of members of the People’s Mojahedin (PMOI) in Padadshahr District, situated behind Behesht-Abad Cemetery, found that the graves of their loved ones had been destroyed, according to information received by Justice for the …

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