On Monday 26 February 2018, the lawyers acting on a pro bono basis for the Iran Tribunal filed a complaint against Alireza Avaei, the Minister of Justice in Rouhani’s Government, with the Swiss Prosecutor, charging Avaei with crimes against humanity.

Alireza Avaei is due to lead a delegation to the 37^th Session of Human Rights Council in Geneva on 27 February 2018.  He is participating in the Human Rights Council as the representative of his Government on human rights while he has a long record of gross violations of human rights and has committed crimes against humanity.

Earlier in February the Watchdog Committee of the Iran Tribunal was alerted to the possible participation of Alireza Avaei in the 37^th Session of the Human Rights Council.  Immediately, in view of his criminal activities in the judiciary,  his records were compiled and statements of witnesses in connection with the crimes committed by Avaei as the prosecutor in Kurdestan, Kermanshah, and Central Province in 1983 to 1985 as well as his role in the “death committee” in Dezful and Ahvaz were prepared.

Avaei had a key position in carrying out executions of political prisoners in Dezful (UNESCO) prison in 1988.  It was on the basis of his insistence and that of representative of the Ministry of Information (as well as confirmation of Mohammad Hussein Ahmadi, the religious judge) that all the political prisoners in the UNESCO Prison were executed.  The only exception was the case of Mohammad Reza Ashough, who managed to flee while he was being taken with other prisoners for execution.

Alireza Avaei is travelling on a diplomatic passport as the head of a mission.  He has diplomatic immunity and it would not be easy to arrest and prosecute him while on this mission to Geneva.  While under international law, those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity should not be given immunity, nevertheless many governments and in particular European governments, in order to retain their economic and political interests, undermine this rule.

Watchdog Committee of Iran Tribunal

26^th February 2018

Press Invitation: Following an unprecedented ruling from The Hague in February 2013, where the Islamic Republic of Iran was charged with five forms of “gross human rights abuses”, The Iran Tribunal is meeting in London to seek justice for the thousands of victims by bolstering public support fora United Nations commission of inquiry to examine the atrocities committed in the 1980s.

Following court hearings in London and in The Hague, in February 2013 the Tribunal found the Islamic Republic of Iran guilty of gross violations of human rights against its citizens and accountable for the systematic and widespread commission of crimes against humanity in Iran between 1980 and 1988. These crimes were committed against the country’s prisoners when between 5,000 and 20,000 citizens were tortured and executed.

The hearing at The Hague saw human rights barristers examine witnesses who suffered at the hands of the Republic under the power of the Khomeini’s Fatwa for holding beliefs that conflicted with the regime.

One witness, Esmat Vatanparast, who lost nine members of her family including, three brothers, two daughters, her 11 year old nephew, her son-in-law and his two brothers, described how her family members were tortured and killed. She said in her statement that she was speaking out for all of the mothers who lost children to the regime:

“I couldn’t even sleep at night always wondering what they had done to my children… But now we are happy to have found a place with dedicated people that made it possible to voice the mothers’ grief. I would like to represent all those mothers; I am willing to express our sorrow all across the world to defend the innocents.”

The Tribunal is meeting in London with witnesses, victims and survivors to raise public awareness of this unprecedented judgement and bolster public support so that eventually the United Nations establishes a commission of inquiry on this subject and seek justice for the thousands of innocent victims.

To confirm attendance or request an interview with witnesses please RSVP:

Tom Nutt/Bethan Halls

The Communication Group plc

+44 (0)20 7630 1411/+44(0)7775 686 706

TNutt@TheCommunicationGroup.co.uk

——–ENDS

Notes to editors:

The full judgement document is available on request. Additional first hand witness statements from victims’ families and survivors and interviews are available on request.

Full documentation will be made available to all press following the conference.

About the Iran Tribunal Movement

The Iran Tribunal is an apolitical, social movement, particularly focused on the decade of human rights abuses perpetrated against prisoners throughout the 1980s, culminating in the massacres in the summer of 1988. The stated aim of the Tribunal is to hold the Islamic Republic of Iran to account for these massacres. This campaign is the culmination of a grassroots movement in Iran over the past 25 years, originated by the mothers, wives and sisters of victims.

The Tribunal compromised two stages: a ‘Truth Commission’ and the ‘Tribunal’. The Commission (June 2012) collected statements, witness documents and dossiers and produced a report on extensive executions in the early years of 1980s as well as mass execution of prisoners in 1988.

Subsequently, the Iran Tribunal investigated the findings of the Truth Commission and issued a judgement based on this and the trial at The Hague on 25-27 October 2012 at the Peace Palace. The Peace Palace houses the International Court of Justice, a body of the United Nations, the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the Hague Academy of International Law. The final judgement was published on 7 February 2013.

The publication of the final judgement from the Iran Tribunal on 7th February 2013, concluded the second phase of the people’s court process held at the Peace Palace in The Hague between 25-27 October 2012.