Iran’s secret massacre: the untold legacy

By Hamid Yazdanpanah

This summer marks the 26th anniversary of Iran’s massacre against political prisoners in 1988. The shock and terror inflicted on the Iranian nation wen tens of thousands of prisoners were executed in a matter of months went unnoticed in the international sphere, and unresolved in the Iranian psyche. The legacy of this event has resulted in the survival of a despotic regime, and the stunted growth of a nation.

A Decade of Blood

In order to understand the effect of the 1988 massacre, it is necessary to situate it in the historical context of 1980’s Iran. A decade which had started out with the highest of aspirations following the 1979 revolution, turned into a nightmare of horror and tragedy. The war with Iraq which started in 1980 also was used by the Mullahs to suppress criticism and justify their expansion of power. Khomeini entered Iran with religious sanctity that was unparalleled, his betrayal of the peoples trusts has instilled a cynicism towards politics in Iranians that continues to this day.

The massacre itself has never been formally investigated, and remains shrouded in mystery. Some estimates place the number of killed as high as 30,000. To date, the most damning evidence has come from within the ruling clergy itself, from Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri who lost his status as Khomeini’s successor by denouncing the massacre.

The orders for the systematic execution of dissidents came from Khomeini himself, in the form of a fatwa (religious edict) and was meant to purge the country of any opposition, notably the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) who.........

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