Paris conference on accountability for notorious 1988 Iran prison massacre highlights challenges to human rights in Iran

September 3, 2024; Jurist.org

On August 24, Paris was the venue for an international conference sponsored by Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI), dedicated to confronting one of the darkest episodes in Iran’s history: the 1988 Massacre. The event, titled “Accountability for Atrocity Crimes,” drew legal luminaries, human rights advocates, survivors, and observers from around the world, all unified in their demand for justice and accountability for the atrocities committed by the Iranian regime 36 years ago. I was in attendance.

 The massacre, often referred to as the “1988 Prison Massacre,” involved the systematic execution of thousands of Iranian political prisoners, primarily members of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq/People’s Mujaedein Organization of Iran (MEK/PMOI) opposition group, following orders from Ayatollah Khomeini. The Paris conference highlighted the need to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice while also shedding light on ongoing human rights abuses in Iran.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, was the keynote speaker, emphasizing her vision for a democratic Iran. She pointed out that for the past 30 weeks, political prisoners in many Iranian prisons have staged hunger strikes every Tuesday to protest executions, and she urged the participants of the conference and all human rights defenders to actively engage in the “No to the Death Penalty” campaign.

Azadeh Zabeti opened the conference with a poignant set of remarks, setting the stage for an informative session supported by a powerful video documentary from the Ashraf-3 Museum in Albania where several thousand MEK members, including nearly 1,000 former Iranian political prisoners, reside.

A distinguished roster of speakers enriched the conference, including Dr. Chile Eboe-Osuji, former president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and Prof. Leila Nadya Sadat, an authority on crimes against humanity. The event also featured Prof. William A. Schabas, an expert in genocide studies, who enriched the dialogue with his insights.

The conference covered extensive ground, with Kenneth Lewis, the lawyer for the PMOI in the Swedish trial of Hamid Noury, and Prof. Javaid Rehman, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, providing critical analyses of the current state of human rights in Iran. Attendees heard harrowing testimonies from survivors, whose recounting of personal losses and the courageous stand of their family members underscored the urgency for justice. Central to the discussions was Professor Javaid Rehman. His recent report examined atrocity crimes throughout the period following the 1979 revolution, with a detailed focus on 1981-82 and the 1988 massacre. It meticulously documented summary executions, torture, persecution, enforced disappearances, and sexual and gender-based crimes.

In his remarks, Prof. Steven Schneebaum of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University pointed to the violations of international legal standards by Iran. “In a twist that the word ‘perverse’ is inadequate to describe, the regime has begun what it is calling a ‘trial,’ in absentia, of some 104 leaders and supporters of the MEK,” he said. Painting this as an egregious misapplication of legal principles, he criticized Iran’s attempt to manipulate international systems, such as INTERPOL’s Red Notice process, to persecute its political opponents abroad under the guise of legal proceedings. “Our role – our duty – is now to ensure that the regime’s gambit does not work. No government should consider for a single moment sending MEK members or supporters to their deaths,” he added.

Efforts to establish an international framework to investigate and hold accountable those responsible were supported by the passionate contributions of legal experts such as Dr. Mark Ellis, the executive director of the International Bar Association, Clément N. Voule, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association (2018-2024), and Shabnam Madadzadeh, a former Iranian political prisoner.

The event also addressed the broader context of Iran’s ongoing suppression of freedom, with a particular focus on the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement, which has now morphed into Woman, Resistance, Freedom, and which continues to inspire global support for Iranian women and girls in their fight against oppression and violence.

Several specific calls to action were issued, including:

1. Expanding the campaign against executions in Iran: Intensifying efforts to raise awareness and apply international pressure against the regime’s brutality.
2. Engaging in the “No to the Death Penalty” campaign: Aimed at abolishing the death penalty in Iran and addressing its use as a tool of repression.
3. Establishing an international investigative and accountability mechanism: Urged by Professor Javaid Rehman, to conduct thorough and transparent investigations into the crimes committed by the Iranian regime.
4. Exercising universal jurisdiction: Individual states were urged to initiate criminal investigations against suspected perpetrators of atrocity crimes in Iran.
5. Supporting the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and democracy: Emphasizing international solidarity and support for efforts to bring about regime change and accountability.

The conference concluded by honoring the courage and resilience of the victims, survivors, and their families, applauding the relentless efforts of the Iranian Resistance in keeping the memory of the 1988 Massacre alive while advocating for a liberated and democratic Iran. This assembly not only highlighted ongoing injustices but also served as a significant step towards rallying international support for Iran’s embattled citizens in their struggle for an equitable future.