In the Iranian regime, there are three independent powers that are not accountable to anyone, including reason and common sense. These powers are controlled by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and are used as tools to maintain the regime’s grip on power.
Recently, the Iranian judiciary released a report on Hamid Noury, a former guard and assistant superintendent at Iran’s Gohardasht prison during the 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners across the country. Noury was arrested in Stockholm, put on trial, and sentenced to life in prison. He has since filed an appeal, and the court has not yet made a final decision.
The Iranian Regime’s Denial of the 1988 Massacre: Examining the Case of Hamid Noury
The report ignores Noury‘s background and the verdict of the Swedish court, portraying him as an innocent citizen unjustly sentenced to life in prison. The report even denies the occurrence of the 1988 massacre. However, during Noury’s trial in Sweden, over 113 witnesses testified, including 60 members and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), who provided irrefutable evidence about Noury’s involvement in the massacre. One witness testified to seeing Noury beat a pregnant woman before sending her to the Death Commission. The evidence clearly shows Noury’s guilt.
The report also highlights the role of the Iranian opposition MEK as the main plaintiff in the trial. The MEK played an indisputable role as the main plaintiff, as over 90% of the 1988 massacre victims were affiliated with the MEK. The political prisoners who supported the MEK refused to renounce their beliefs and were executed as a result.
Noury, as a guard and assistant superintendent at Gohardasht prison, was complicit in the selection of prisoners and their transfer to the Death Commission, which decided their fate in kangaroo trials. Noury was also involved in transferring prisoners to the execution hall and even distributed sweets among prison guards and officials as the prisoners were being hanged.
The Iranian regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa for the purging of political prisoners in 1988, and the document was registered in court as evidence of the crime. Prosecutors presented a list of 444 prisoners who were executed at Gohardasht prison while Noury was serving there.
Holding the Iranian Regime Accountable for Crimes Against Humanity: The Noury Trial and Beyond
The trial is not limited to Noury’s role in the massacre, but calls for all the perpetrators and orchestrators of the crime against humanity to be summoned and tried. The prosecution team referred to a 2018 report by Amnesty International, titled “Blood-soaked secrets,” which revealed that judges involved in the 1988 massacre explicitly asked prisoners to state their position on the MEK, and anyone who defended support for the Iranian opposition was executed.
Despite Noury being present in court, the true culprits being tried are regime president Ebrahim Raisi and supreme leader Ali Khamenei. This trial is the first step in holding these ruthless criminals accountable for their actions, which have gone unpunished for over thirty years.
The Iranian judiciary’s report on Hamid Noury is a novice and misleading attempt to deny the 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners in Iran. The families of the victims demand justice, and the Iranian regime should be held accountable for its crimes. While justice was served with Noury’s life sentence, more perpetrators of this crime against humanity must face consequences. The international community should support the cause of justice for the victims of the 1988 massacre.
