Document 1
Following the completion of the process of the Truth Commission (being the first stage of the Iran Tribunal proceedings) Which was held for a period of 5 days from 18th to 22nd June 2012 inLondon, one of the high ranking security officials of IRI, by the name of Seyed Mehdi Payambari, published an article in “Borhan”, an “analytical” publication of the Ministry of Information of IRI, attacking Iran Tribunal under the title of “What is happening behind the curtains of Iran Tribunal”.
Payambari, in his capacity as the head of “Steering Establishment of the Human Rights Committee” of IRI, while confirming the massacre of political prisoners under Khomein’s fatwa, attempts a) to connect Iran Tribunal toMujahedeen Movement and b) to legitimise the murders of political prisoners in 1988. Unwittingly, he admits to the harrowing crimes of IRI in the prisons in Iran starting from June 1981 and culminating in 1988 by the order of Khomeini.
Iran Tribunal was initiated by former political prisoners and relatives of those who lost their lives in 1980s. It was widely supported and participated by the Iranian people as well activists from all walks of life in particular progressive politicians, workers, students, intellectuals, writers, jurists and supporters Of rights of children. To connect Iran Tribunal to single group, like Mujahedeen, is as baseless as those trying to connect Iran Tribunal to the United States financial institutions.
Document 2
In response to the internal and international pressures brought to bear on the IRI as a consequence of the process of Iran Tribunal, on 16th December 2012 the site of “Baztab-e-Emrouz” belonging to Mohsen Rezai’e published an article under the title of “How Ayatollah Khamenei prevented the execution of Marxists and Communists in thousands” The article attempts to show that a) Khamnei had nothing to do with the executions and in fact was against it; and b) implicate only those who had received the fatwa from Khomeini in connection with the execution. Undoubtedly, the fatwa was issued with the approval of all high-ranking members of the regime, including Khamnei.
In his memoires, Montazeri, refers to the silence of those in charge of IRI, including Khamnei as indication of their approval of Komeini’s fatwa and massacre of 1988.
These two documents are the only officials documents issued by IRI in response to the process of Iran Tribunal and the internal and international pressures caused by this. In 1980s at least 17,000 political prisoners were murdered in the prisons of the IRI.
10 November 2012