Amnesty's shocking report describes in full details and recorded evidence how the authorities in iran are deliberately wiping out physical proof that can lead to the truth about what happened to the 4,000 - 5,000 prisoners detained for political reasons in 1988. These prisoners were murdered in a series of state-sponsored executions lasting for approximately five months across Iran.
There is a video showing a bulldozer paving the way for a new road on the burial spot. Unbelievably the government of Iran is actually turning the sites into massive rubbish dumps or making new graveyards in its place.
You can even follow up on the satellite imagery that clearly shows these changes. There are enough photos and video to back up this vital case. The group producing the report has said that it’s possible for there to be 120 of these burial sites in the country. All which contain what remains of a murdered generation.
What is known to some in Iran as a supreme leader, at that time was Khomeini. He was the one in charge of giving the sentence or fatwa for the killing of 30,000 innocent Iranians, all because of their political beliefs. There is a copy of the actual fatwa still in existence.
Imprisoned for spreading the word
It appears the only crime these prisoners committed was to disagree with the Islamic rule.
The victims were mostly of the People’s Mojahedin Organization (PMOI) Others of different groups such as the Fedaian or the communist Tudeh Party had been executed as well. Followers of People's Mujahedin of Iran were arrested for such activities as distributing the organisation’s newspapers or being present in peaceful demonstrations.
Some had even been arrested again after their release, only weeks before the massacre, to be dealt with for good.
Hussein-Ali Montazeri was the deputy to Khomeini and he was removed from his position in government because he did not agree to the killings. Families of the victims were alerted of the news as word started spreading amongst those that had witnessed the violent scenes.
They were told in person by prison guards that their children or relatives had been killed, however, they were not informed of where the bodies were hidden. It was then that restless family members took to cemeteries looking for signs of any recent digging. Still most fates of those killed remains unknown.
Harsh conditions
I’ve actually spoken with some of the people who know about the 1988 massacre or are close families of the victims. Those prisoners had served long time sentences and were deliberately kept in harsh conditions.
What needs to happen now is for justice to be done. I strongly support the idea for an international trial to take place and for those responsible of carrying out the fatwa like Ayatollah Morteza Eshraqi, Hojatt al-Islam Hossein-Ali Nayyeri and Hojjat al-Islam Ali Mobasheri to be held accountable by law.
These families also want influential International Organisations to intervene and stop Iran's government from taking away what is left to discover of these grounds.