A newly published book, Distorted Narrative: Setting the Record Straight on the 1988 Massacre, by Swedish legal expert Kenneth Lewis, presents a critical legal and historical examination of one of the darkest chapters in Iran’s modern history—the mass execution of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988.
The book, published in English, delves into the trial of Hamid Noury, a former Iranian prison official convicted in Sweden for his role in the massacre at Gohardasht Prison. Lewis, who was directly involved in the trial, provides an insider’s perspective on the legal battles, disinformation campaigns, and efforts by Tehran to obscure its crimes.
Exposing a Disinformation Campaign
According to Lewis, the Iranian regime and its allies have systematically attempted to distort the truth about the massacre, demonizing the victims—most of whom were members and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)—while portraying the perpetrators as victims. The book criticizes certain publications, including The Smiling Executioner by journalist Sofie Tanha, for allegedly downplaying the atrocities and misrepresenting the victims.
Kenneth Lewis, lawyer for PMOI in the Swedish trial of Hamid Noury, provides evidence that #Iran's regime had a religiously motivated intent to exterminate @Mojahedineng even before the armed conflict began on June 20, 1981. pic.twitter.com/8ahJuyO55S
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) September 9, 2024
Lewis refutes these claims with firsthand accounts from former prisoners, court testimonies, and legal analysis, showing how the regime has spent decades producing films, books, and articles to discredit the opposition and obscure the truth.
Legal and Historical Context
The book argues that the 1988 executions were not just crimes against humanity but acts of genocide as they were intended to annihilate a specific political and ideological group. Lewis draws parallels between the 1988 massacre and the Nuremberg Trials, noting that unlike Nazi war criminals, those responsible for the executions in Iran remain in power, making justice more challenging.
In addition to analyzing the legal framework of the case, Distorted Narrative highlights the resilience of PMOI prisoners, who refused to renounce their beliefs despite knowing they faced execution.
Mr. Kenneth Lewis, a Swedish-#American lawyer who has been assisting the #IranianResistance for more than 2 decades, explained in detail how the MEK has been moving heaven and earth to shed light on the crimes of the clerical regime's officials in the #1988Massacre and bring them… pic.twitter.com/t4Bv3TodRP
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 24, 2023
Response from Iranian Resistance
A spokesperson for the PMOI/MEK welcomed the book’s release, stating that it serves as a powerful rebuttal to Tehran’s ongoing propaganda efforts and a “decisive blow to the regime’s attempts to erase its crimes from history.”
Lewis’s book is available for purchase on Amazon, aiming to contribute to the ongoing global effort to recognize the 1988 massacre as genocide and hold the Iranian regime accountable for its past and present crimes.