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The 1988 Massacre in Iran: A Crime Against Humanity and the Pursuit of Justice

Written by Safora Sadidi Mohammadi
In the summer of 1988, the Iranian regime massacred 30,000 political prisoners in just a few weeks
In the summer of 1988, the Iranian regime massacred 30,000 political prisoners in just a few weeks

Four-minute read

In 1988, a grieving mother in Tehran received a plastic bag containing her son’s bloodied clothes. No explanation. No grave. No body. Her son was one of thousands executed in secret by the Iranian regime—a mass killing that has since been recognized as one of the most horrific political purges of the late 20th century. Today, the world knows it as the 1988 Massacre.

A Coordinated Crime: Origins of the Massacre

In July 1988, the regime’s then Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, abruptly agreed to a ceasefire with Iraq. Humiliated by the decision—what he called “drinking the poison chalice”—he redirected his fury inward. Political prisoners, especially those affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), became the new targets.

Khomeini issued a fatwa that ordered the execution of all PMOI members in prison who remained loyal to their cause. Special tribunals—infamously known as the “Death Commissions”—were set up across the country to interrogate prisoners in a matter of minutes and decide their fate.

Inside the Death Commissions

These extrajudicial panels consisted of judicial, intelligence, and religious officials. Among the most notorious were:

  • Hossein-Ali Nayyeri – Religious judge and head of the Tehran commission
  • Ebrahim Raisi – Then deputy prosecutor of Tehran, later became head of judiciary and eventually regime president for his criminal record in service of the regime
  • Mostafa Pourmohammadi – Intelligence Ministry representative who later justified the killings as fulfilling a “divine command”

Pourmohammadi would later state: “We executed God’s commandment regarding the MEK. We are at peace with our conscience.”

These officials operated with chilling efficiency, asking prisoners a single question: Do you still support the Mojahedin? A “yes,” or even silence, meant immediate execution.

A Nationwide Purge

The scope of the massacre was vast and methodical. According to reports documented by opposition groups and submitted to the United Nations:

  • Over 30,000 political prisoners were executed between late July and September 1988.
  • In just three days (August 14–16), 860 corpses were transferred from Evin Prison to the Behesht-e Zahra
  • On August 6, 200 MEK prisoners on hunger strike were executed in Evin’s main hall.
  • Entire prisons—including those in Gohardasht, Mashhad, Kermanshah, Shiraz, and Bandar Anzali—were emptied of political prisoners.

One internal report described how six cranes and three forklifts operated around the clock to carry out hangings in Gohardasht. Each crane handled multiple executions simultaneously.

Who Were the Victims?

The victims were not combatants, but political prisoners, many of whom had already served their sentences. They included:

  • Teenagers and university students
  • Elderly parents and grandparents
  • Pregnant women and nursing mothers
  • Entire families linked to MEK supporters

According to Dr. Kazem Rajavi, the regime often executed individuals “without any formal charges or trials… simply for having different political views.”

Prison visits were abruptly suspended. Families were left waiting outside gates or were summoned to collect only their loved ones’ belongings.

Torture, Concealment, and Destruction of Evidence

Reports compiled from survivors, whistleblowers, and resistance members reveal harrowing details of torture and concealment:

  • Use of chemical gas to execute prisoners in some locations
  • Burning of bodies to hide evidence of beatings and sexual assault
  • Mass graves, often shallow and unmarked, across at least 21 cities
  • Children born in prison after their mothers were tortured while pregnant

A witness testified in Stockholm: “They flogged us until our skin came off… some girls were raped before execution… we were all just waiting to die.”

International Recognition and Legal Framing

The United Nations Special Rapporteur, Prof. Reynaldo Galindo Pohl, received extensive documentation in 1989, including over 1,100 names of confirmed victims. His report noted:

“Most victims were already serving sentences or had completed them. Executions were carried out without due process or legal defense.”

In a landmark report released in 2024, Javaid Rehman, then UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, concluded that the 1988 massacre of thousands of political prisoners—primarily affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI)—constituted both genocide and crimes against humanity. The report called for the establishment of an international accountability mechanism to prosecute those responsible, marking the strongest legal condemnation yet by a UN expert of one of the clerical regime’s gravest atrocities.

Under international law, the 1988 Massacre qualifies as a crime against humanity due to:

  • Systematic extermination of a political group
  • Lack of due process and summary executions
  • Widespread use of torture and sexual violence

Multiple UN General Assembly resolutions, European Parliament votes, and Amnesty International reports have condemned the massacre.

The Justice Movement: A Global Call

Since 1988, a growing coalition of families, survivors, and Iranian opposition groups—especially the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)—have kept the cause alive. Their actions include:

  • Submitting evidence and names of perpetrators to the UN and the ICC
  • Hosting People’s Tribunals in The Hague, Paris, Stockholm, London, and elsewhere
  • Organizing global hunger strikes across 17 countries
  • Documenting 3,200+ names of victims and identifying 31 mass graves

At the UN’s 45th Human Rights Commission session, the massacre was raised officially for the first time. Survivor testimonies from across Europe and North America were presented, backed by hundreds of parliamentarians and legal experts.

Why This Still Matters

Many of the massacre’s architects remain in power today. Mostafa Pourmohammadi, once a death commission member, was Minister of Justice from 2013 until 2017. Ali Khamenei, then-president and now Supreme Leader, has consistently protected the perpetrators and denied the killings.

One survivor said during a tribunal:

“The same people who tortured us now run our country. Justice is not revenge—it’s a warning to history.”

Beyond justice for past crimes, the movement speaks to Iran’s future—a future that must be built on accountability, transparency, and respect for human rights.

The 1988 massacre was not a chaotic byproduct of war—it was a calculated extermination campaign. It erased thousands of voices but could not silence the will for freedom. The justice-seeking movement is not merely about remembering the dead; it is about defending the living and shaping a new future for Iran.

As one mother who lost four children said at a tribunal in Paris:

“Between us and them lies a sea of blood. We will never forget. And we will never stop.”

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