Deadly Fatwa: Iran's 1988 Prison Massacre

This report documents and analyzes the Iranian government’s massacre of political prisoners in 1988. Pursuant to a fatwa issued by then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, the government systematically interrogated, tortured and summarily executed thousands of political prisoners. Many families were never informed about the executions and many of the victims were buried in unmarked mass graves. The Iranian government has never identified those who were secretly executed and tortured, and has never issued an explanation for this crime.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. The Victims

1.1 Mojahedin-e Khalq

1.2 The Tudeh Party of Iran

1.3 Fedaian-e Khalq

1.4 Other Leftist Groups

2. Khomeini’s Fatwa

2.1 Clerical objections

3. Planning for the Massacre

3.1 Prisoners are Interrogated

3.2 Prisoners are Reorganized 

4. The Massacre

4.1 The Prisons are Locked Down

4.2 Interrogations, Executions and Torture

4.3 Tehran: Gohar Dasht and Evin Prisons

4.3.1 Gohar Dasht

4.3.2 Evin

4.4 Shiraz

4.5 Tabriz

4.6 Dezful

4.7 Zanjan

4.8 Esfahan

4.9 Hamedan

4.10 Ahvaz

4.11 Zahedan

4.12 Mashhad

4.13 Rasht

5. The Government Denies Families Information and Forbids Mourning

6. Violations of International and Iranian Law

6.1 Violations of International Human Rights Law

6.1.1 Summary Mass Executions

6.1.2 Torture

6.1.3 Interrogations

6.1.4 Violation of rights to freedom of expression and association

6.1.5 Forced disappearances

6.1.6 Violation of right to redress

6.2 Crimes Against Humanity

6.3 Violations of Iranian Law

Conclusion