Strong condemnation of medieval trials and death sentences
ISJ, February 5, 2010 – The International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ) comprised of 2,000 parliamentarians from Europe and North America and Canada, expresses support for the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people and follows closely, with deep concern and dismay, reports about the medieval trials and death sentences issued by the Iranian regime against political opponents.
Tuesday’s announcement by Ebrahim Raeesi, First Deputy to the Iranian regime’s Judiciary Chief, that nine more detainees arrested during the uprising “will be executed soon” raises the level of urgency for a firm reaction by the international community, and in particular the European Union, against the regime.
Over the past eight months, the uprising has persisted and expanded despite unprecedented suppression. With the chants of “death to dictator,” “down with principle of velayat-e faqih (absolute rule of clergy)” and “death to Khamenei,” the uprising has left no doubt about the Iranian people’s demands. They have clearly expressed their desire for an open society and a democratic and secular republic.
The eruption of popular rage over the course of the eight-month long uprising, especially on December 27, 2009, exposed the myths advocated by proponents of the appeasement policy about the stability of the regime and lack of opposition against it.
Today, the slogans of people across Iran echo the demands that the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI.MEK), the main organized opposition to the clerical regime, have been pressing for years. Far from being isolated in Iranian society, these slogans and demands are extensively embraced by Iranians. The regime's officials have admitted as much, evident in statements such as: “The slogans used by Massoud Rajavi (the Iranian Resistance Leader)… can also be heard in the streets of Tehran.”
The execution of two political prisoners accused of “moharebeh” (waging war on God), the sentencing of nine prisoners to death and the trial of 16 others on the same charge uncovers the extreme brutality and barbarity displayed by the regime in the 21st Century. The charges levied by the Revolutionary Court’s prosecutor against one of the prisoners emphasize that, “The defendant is accused of moharebeh (waging war on God) by supporting and having links with the PMOI, heading its teams inside the country, organizing gatherings, collusion with the intention of committing crimes to disrupt public security, conducting publicity activities against the establishment and in favor of the enemies and the PMOI, … and having communications with the PMOI contacts.” He added that the defendant had “participated in most gatherings” and “taken pictures and produced video footage.” He then cited articles from the regime’s penal code of Islamic Punishment Act and requested that the defendant be sentenced to death. The charge of “moharebeh” is the most cited charge against those sentenced to execution or those who are still on trial. The regime aims with these accusations of being connected to the PMOI to hide the fact of the wide rejection of the people of Iran of their brutality and suppression.
The highest judicial and political authorities in Iran stress that since the leadership of the PMOI has remained intact, those in contact with the organization, even if they are only involved in political or publicity campaigns or have merely visited relatives in Camp Ashraf, would still be deemed as mohareb. This charge could be applied to millions of Iranians supporting the PMOI and their families, the relatives of those executed, the residents of Ashraf, and members and supporters of the Iranian Resistance in exile around the world. It only serves to reveal the extent of the regime’s vulnerability in its confrontation with the Iranian Resistance.
The trial and execution of PMOI members and supporters charged as moharebs is eerily analogous to the terrorist label placed on them by some western countries in the absence of any judicial proceedings and at the behest of the Iranian regime. It took eight years and successive court orders for the British and European versions of the mohareb label to be removed from the PMOI. The American version, however, still remains in force.
Today, the Iranian regime widely uses the terror label as a pretext for putting political prisoners, especially supporters of the PMOI, on trial and sentencing them to death as mohareb. We call on the United States to immediately remove the PMOI, a legitimate Iranian resistance movement, from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
At a time when the Iranian people have revolted against the regime, maintaining the terror label is a blatant act of interference in favor of the regime and against the Iranian people during their uprising. This would leave an incredibly harmful image for the United States among the Iranian people.
Although Messrs. Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karoubi have distanced themselves from people’s uprising by recognizing the constitution of the velayat-e faqih (absolute rule of the clergy), the Supreme Leader, and the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali Khamenei is still reluctant to show the slightest degree of flexibility towards them, even as their only aim is to seek reforms and to maintain the clerical system in power longer. Khamenei’s authoritarianism does not result from a position of strength but on the contrary it is a product of utter weakness. Reforms would only expedite the downfall of the regime.
These facts serve to show that the only solution for Iran is regime change in its entirety by the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance, which has been presented as the Third Option by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.
ISJ calls on the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the US government to adopt urgent measures in relation to the regime in Iran. The regime’s dossier on systematic violations of human rights and its suppression of peaceful demonstrations must be referred to the UN Security Council. The regime must not be rewarded for its executions, killings and crimes with the continuation of economic and diplomatic relations.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Vice President of the European Parliament
President of the International Committee In Search of Justice
Brussels
5 February 2010