On Monday, November 6, 2023, the Swedish Court of Appeals convened for a critical session in the trial of Hamid Nouri, a key perpetrator in the 1988 massacre of political prisoners at Gohardasht Prison. The session was dedicated to the final defense by Kenneth Lewis, the legal representative for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
In his closing statement, Lewis reaffirmed his strong support for the initial court’s verdict, which sentenced Nouri to life imprisonment. “We fully agree with the first court’s ruling on Nouri’s conviction. The evidence proving his guilt is overwhelming, as presented by my clients in their testimonies,” Lewis stated.
The Swedish attorney provided an extensive overview of the four-decade-long struggle between the Iranian resistance and the ruling regime. Presenting documented evidence, he argued that the conflict between the PMOI and the Iranian regime was a non-international armed conflict. Therefore, he insisted that Nouri should be convicted based on war crimes committed in such a conflict.
Detailing the historical context, Lewis highlighted that Massoud Rajavi, the leader of the PMOI, had been imprisoned until three weeks before the fall of the Shah’s regime. Five days after his release, Rajavi delivered a speech at the University of Tehran, ending it with the slogan, “Long live the democratic revolution in Iran.” However, Ayatollah Khomeini opposed the term “democratic revolution” and instead emphasized an “Islamic revolution.”
Lewis described how, after being freed, the PMOI quickly became a major political force across Iran, establishing offices in cities nationwide. However, they faced violent attacks from Khomeini’s loyalists. He underscored June 20, 1981, as a crucial turning point in Iran’s history, when the regime violently crushed the last peaceful demonstration against its rule. More than half a million people participated in the protest in Tehran alone, but the Revolutionary Guards opened fire on the crowd, killing dozens, injuring hundreds, and arresting thousands.
In his defense, Lewis referenced the testimony of one of his clients from the first trial, who recounted the brutal execution of detainees from the September 27, 1981 protests. Over three days, more than 1,800 prisoners were executed in Evin Prison.
Addressing misinformation regarding the PMOI’s ties with Iraq, Lewis rejected claims made in the initial trial, which were based on statements by an individual named Rouzbeh Parsi. Newly released documents, he argued, revealed that Parsi was acting on behalf of the Iranian regime to spread disinformation and influence European policymakers.
Lewis pointed out that the PMOI was granted protected status under the Fourth Geneva Convention following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s government, underscoring their independent status in Iraq. To further validate this claim, he presented evidence demonstrating the PMOI’s financial and military independence. He cited extensive records showing that the organization had captured substantial weaponry from Iranian forces during operations, including Operation Chelcheragh, which was valued at billions of dollars.
To support his argument, Lewis submitted two banking documents indicating that the PMOI transferred $8 million from Credit Suisse to the Iraqi government in exchange for Iraqi dinars to cover their expenses in Iraq. Additionally, he presented arms purchase records and statements from UN officials affirming the PMOI’s autonomy.
Highlighting the continued armed conflict beyond 1988, Lewis provided declassified reports from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the United Nations. A July 1993 CIA report stated that in February 1992, UN weapons inspectors visited the PMOI’s main military base in Iraq, known as Camp Ashraf, which Iraqi authorities recognized as Iranian territory. He also referenced a December 15, 1998, letter from the UN Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council, which noted that UN arms control inspectors had access to all sites in Iraq except for PMOI facilities, which were acknowledged as being outside Iraqi control.
Kenneth Lewis’ defense in the Stockholm Appeals Court stands as a powerful testament to the PMOI’s decades-long struggle against the oppressive Iranian regime. The evidence he presented not only reaffirmed the PMOI’s independence but also underscored the continued non-international armed conflict beyond 1988. His statements highlighted the resilience of the Iranian resistance, portraying their fight as a defining element in Iran’s history, ultimately paving the way for the Iranian people’s victory in their pursuit of freedom and democratic governance.