NCRI, 03 August 2010  – This week a special and important program aired on the Iranian opposition satellite channel Simay-e Azadi National TV exposing the Iranian regime’s massacre of political prisoners in 1988.
Iranians and relatives of those slain during the massacre contacted the live program from inside and outside Iran, recounting their memories about the horrific massacre which claimed the lives of over 30,000 political activists. Former political prisoners and residents of Camp Ashraf, Iraq, where thousands of members of the main opposition, People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), reside, offered their stories which exposed only a small part of the crimes perpetrated by the regime in prisons in Tehran and other cities in 1988.

In the summer of that year, the mullahs’ supreme leader at the time, Khomeini, issued a handwritten fatwa ordering the massacre of all political prisoners insisting on their political and religious beliefs. Immediately thereafter, so-called death committees were formed to sentence thousands of political prisoners to death during speedy trials. All in all, 30,000 prisoners were executed, the majority of whom were supporters of the PMOI. Amnesty International and other rights groups have described the massacre as a crime against humanity while renowned international law experts believe that the massacre can also be categorized as a genocide.
Guests of the live program on the opposition satellite channel this week included a roster of prominent international personalities, most notably,

Dr. Juan Garcés, former political advisor to the late Chilean President Salvador Allende and legal counsel for Ashraf residents at Spain’s national court,
Francois Colcombet, a former judge and former member of the French National Assembly,
Pierre Bercis, President of the French New Human Rights,
Lord Avebury, one of the founders of the British Parliament’s Human Rights Group,
Lord Corbett, a member of the House of Lords and Chairman of the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom,
Brian Binley, member of the British House of Commons, and
David Kilgour, Chairman of the Canadian Parliamentary Committee for a Democratic Iran.
The international personalities partaking in the program all condemned the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran as one of the most horrific crimes against humanity and gave assurances about their commitment to bring the case to an international tribunal.
Below are experts of what these international figures said during the live broadcast on Simay-e Azadi:

Dr. Juan Garcés:
“What took place at that time was indeed a crime against humanity; Both the legal categories of a crime against humanity and genocide can be applied to crimes that systematically eradicate or torture persons merely on the basis of their beliefs, whether political or otherwise.
“What stands out from Khomeini’s [1988] fatwa is that the charges laid out there are the exact same charges that the regime is now leveling against protestors as “moharebs” [“enemies of God”].
“I am very delighted that I had the opportunity to talk to those who fight for justice and freedom in Iran, Ashraf and elsewhere in the world.”

Francois Colcombet:
“This was an example of large mass executions where the victims were put on trials that literally lasted only seconds. This is certainly not acceptable for the international community and it is my opinion that the United Nations must launch an investigation into this issue in order to inform international public opinion about what transpired in Iran at that time. The key perpetrators of this crime, the most notable of whom was of course Khomeini who issued the original order, must be held accountable for these crimes. … I will always support your struggle.”

Pierre Bercis:
“Those responsible for the crimes of 1988 in Iran will without a doubt have to appear in a court one day for their crimes and they will be prosecuted … We are talking about a [crime against] the democratic opposition in Iran here. This opposition is no one except the PMOI which over the past three decades has been fighting the dictatorship ruling Iran. We stood by the families of the 30,000 victims who disappeared during the years of dictatorship in Argentina, and it is in the same spirit that our organization also supports the relatives of those slain during the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran who lost their lives after being executed or while under torture.”

Lord Avebury:
“This was one of most senseless crimes and it would be a mistake to overlook it. Although 22 years have passed since the 1988 massacre, it should never be forgotten. These crimes occurred in 1988 and perhaps much earlier, and there are many people who are ready to offer evidence and documents in this regard. These extensive evidentiary material can be collected and submitted to a criminal court on the basis of a collective appeal. The perpetrators who are still alive must be prosecuted and be brought to justice.”

Lord Corbett:
“I think the lesson that the world must learn from it is that the mullahs tried to eradicate the opposition, but that they failed. In the span of 5 months, 30,000 opponents of this regime were sent to the gallows, most of whom were supporters of the PMOI. But the resistance movement survived; it is alive in the Iraqi deserts in Camp Ashraf. Greetings to Ashraf. The resistance movement is also alive inside Iran. This is because these people seek freedom and believe in a tolerant Islam. The mullahs have not been able to destroy this and they never will.
“The mullahs must face an international tribunal established by the UN in order to be held accountable for committing such crimes. Many of those who participated in committing that heinous and great massacre in 1988 continue to hold office in Iran. They must be held accountable for their actions. The world can no longer tolerate a regime which continues to carry out a bloody repression against those who cry out for freedom. It would be impossible for us to forget about the vast crimes and bloodstained hands of the mullahs. The world should never forget it either.”

Brian Binley:
“According to Amnesty International, there is no doubt that this was a crime against humanity. As a citizen, the only protection that I have against a state is international law. I would like to ask the UN Security Council to protect this right and ensure that those who are responsible for such heinous acts and remain in their posts as the regime’s officials today will be arrested. Otherwise, the security and protections of the citizenry will be diluted. This is an important issue for all of us and that is why Mrs. Maryam Rajavi [the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance] has proposed to the UN Security Council to guarantee that this issue will be reviewed in full and that the perpetrators of this crime will be held accountable by a competent tribunal.”