Four-minute read
In a recently recorded interview, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a key figure implicated in the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran, sought to justify his actions as he campaigns for the presidency. In the horrendous crime that has been called by various human rights activists as the world’s greatest political slaughter post-WWII, over 90% of those executed were members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The interview combined denials, deflections, and admissions, revealing both the brutal history of the clerical regime as well as its current efforts to evade accountability amidst growing domestic and international scrutiny.
The interview took an unexpectedly critical tone, highlighting the regime’s utter weakness. In a state known for choking every voice of dissent and censoring criticism, Pourmohammadi staged a seemingly open interview to demonstrate transparency and clear his name from the massacre of thousands of MEK members as he desperately tried to convince the public of his narrative.
When asked by the host why his name has become synonymous with executions, Pourmohammadi replied, “Well, what can I do about it? I was a judge at one point. I either had to prosecute, write indictments or sentence people. Some went to prison, some were fined, and some were executed. What is a surgeon associated with? Surgery. They are in the operating room every day. Similarly, a police officer’s name is linked with arrests and detaining suspects.”
#Iran’s Regime Admits Failure in 44-Year Effort to Discredit #MEKhttps://t.co/rgxK3iXWrE
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 29, 2024
Pourmohammadi explicitly admitted that those he executed were steadfast in their beliefs. He suggested that the regime’s goal was not to allow thousands of defiant youths to maintain their convictions but to force them into submission and renunciation of their struggle. He stated, “Do you know how many people I pardoned? Do you know how much time I spent talking with prisoners, telling them that their actions could lead to severe consequences, possibly even execution? I encouraged them to change.”
Contrary to undercover operatives of the regime’s Ministry of Intelligence like Iraj Mesdaghi who claim that prisoners in the 1988 massacre didn’t know they were going to be executed and would have repented if they had known, Pourmohammadi provided a different perspective. Recounting his kangaroo trials, he said, “Two or three times, we would say, sir, ma’am… the things you are doing and saying mean that your previous sentence must be carried out. We would plead with them. We would say, you don’t have to accept us, we don’t even want you to accept the Islamic Republic. We would say, you don’t even have to say a single word in favor of the regime or the Imam. Just say that you are against the regime. But are you in favor of armed struggle against the Islamic Republic or not? If Massoud Rajavi were in Tehran now, if he opened the prison doors, would you fight against the state? They would say yes, we would fight. You see? What should I have done?”
He also acknowledged the public’s favorable view of the MEK by claiming, “Let’s not be mistaken. The current perception about the MEK and other groups among our people, especially the youth, is due to the narratives they themselves have created.”
Pourmohammadi clearly admitted that the regime’s systematic lies, censorship, and propaganda over 45 years had failed, indicating that they were unable to counter the MEK’s influence. He conceded, “Admittedly, we didn’t do enough to tell the correct stories.”
Former MOIS Interrogator Warns Against #MEK Influence in #Iran, Calls for Internet Restrictionshttps://t.co/FKQS8AGR8F
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 10, 2024
Despite the regime’s brutal torture, killings, and assaults on MEK prisoners, Pourmohammadi attempted to downplay his role by stating that the people demanded harsher punishments: “The people intensely dislike these groups. The situation was different in the 1980s. Back then, the people supported us and even demanded harsher actions against the MEK.”
When asked if he would make the same decisions today, Pourmohammadi remarked, “You can’t compare wartime, when you’re actively engaged with the enemy, to the present situation. But you’re right. If we, including the leadership and the officials, had today’s experience back then, we would have created measures to significantly reduce the excesses.”
To tone down his role in the massacre, Pourmohammadi pointed to other officials and highlighted the existence of 30 death committees across Iran. However, he was personally part of the main death committee in Tehran, alongside Ebrahim Raisi. He admitted that this was a targeted purge aimed at eliminating all those who believed in the MEK’s cause.
Despite then-Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini’s explicit orders to annihilate MEK members without leniency, Pourmohammadi claimed he was brought onto the death committee to prevent extreme measures. He attempted to paint himself in a more favorable light by asserting that he delivered lists of pardoned prisoners to Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri. “For years, I worked closely with the late Mr. Montazeri. I would personally bring the lists of pardoned individuals to him,” he said.
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— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) March 22, 2024
Trying to minimize his crimes, Pourmohammadi added, “But this is the Islamic Republic’s project. It’s a project for the difficult moments of the state. It was a major confrontation. We had to make a judgment.”
“You can never interpret a moment of war, when you are engaged and the enemy is standing in front of you, conducting operations, through the lens of the current situation. But… yes, you’re right. If I—no, not just me—the system, the leadership, the high-ranking officials, and we executors had today’s experience, we would have created measures to significantly reduce the side effects of these actions,” he added.
Nevertheless, this staged interview underscores the regime’s desperation to cleanse its image and the lengths to which its officials will go to rewrite history and deceive a restive society about an organization that Tehran has spent considerable time, money, and energy to eliminate, defame, and outlaw and who its mouthpieces in the West passionately insist it has no significant following.
