![\"Letter-of-World-Athletes-to-the-UNSG-Regarding-the-Massacre-of-Iranian-Athletes-in-1988\"](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Letter-of-World-Athletes-to-the-UNSG-Regarding-the-Massacre-of-Iranian-Athletes-in-1988.jpg\" "\\"Letter")
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The clerical dictatorship in Iran, notorious for its deceit and falsehoods, constantly attempts to justify the mass murder of thousands of political prisoners in the summer of 1988<\/a>. Many state officials struggle to deny or downplay their role in what some human rights experts describe as a “genocide.” And the reason is not primarily their fear of international accountability but their fear of the outrage of the Iranian people.<\/p>\n The impact of the 1988 massacre on the numerous families and acquaintances of the victims has turned this issue into a nationwide concern, and people are demanding answers regarding the fate of tens of thousands of Iranians across the country.<\/p>\n In an interview with the state-run Etemadonline<\/a> on the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) and its role in Iran’s society today, Javad Muguee, a documentary director close to the regime’s intelligence community, stated: “The main topic of the 2017 presidential election became the 1988 executions.”<\/p>\n This sentiment was also acknowledged by the state-run Rajanews on August 1<\/a>, 2020: “In the 2017 presidential elections, Ayatollah Raisi’s rivals, with the help of foreign media, questioned his handling of the MEK issue by bringing up the 1988 executions. Even Hassan Rouhani indirectly referred to Ayatollah Raisi during his campaign in Urmia, stating, ‘People don’t want those who only dealt with prisons and executions.'”<\/p>\n In an effort to rationalize the 1988 massacre, numerous state officials and leaders have attributed the executions of MEK members to their alleged involvement in prison rebellions. They claimed that the MEK members and supporters were acting in coordination with the National Liberation Army (NLA), which had launched the \u201cEternal Light\u201d military offensive and attacked Iran’s western border. This occurred during the period from July 25 to 28, 1988, when the NLA managed to penetrate approximately 170 kilometers into Iranian territory.<\/p>\n On September 18, 2013, the semi-official ISNA news agency quoted<\/a> \u201cParsineh,\u201d a student inquiry website affiliated with the regime\u2019s Supreme Leader, as saying, \u201cThe executions were not aimed at getting rid of prisoners but rather in response to their rebellion in the prison, coinciding with the ‘Mersad Operation.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The Mersad Operation is the regime\u2019s expression for Operation Eternal Light.<\/p>\n According to recorded testimonies by dozens of survivors of the 1988 massacre, there was never any occurrence of a rebellion, irrespective of the place of their imprisonment.<\/p>\n Despite the regime’s attempts to justify the massacre with these flimsy and irrational excuses, they fail to provide any specific details about the alleged prison disturbances or offer any evidence to support their claims. Moreover, the extent of the massacre<\/a> across dozens of cities and counties throughout the entire country raises serious doubts about the logic behind the regime’s reasoning.<\/p>\n It is perplexing why the clerical dictatorship would choose to respond to a supposed rebellion or rebellions by exterminating every single member of the MEK who merely expressed loyalty to the organization. Such a widespread and indiscriminate crackdown nationwide seems disproportionate and unjustifiable.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the troubling aspect extends to the fact that the mass executions also targeted Marxist prisoners. This raises questions about how these executions are related to the so-called MEK-led prison rebellion, which was allegedly \u201csynchronized with the NLA’s military operation.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead of upholding justice, the Iranian judiciary oppresses and violates human rights. We\u202furge the international community and individual governments\u202fto provide accountability and pursue justice for the regime's many victims. pic.twitter.com\/Mr0HpJuJ5g<\/a><\/p>\n — Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) July 17, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe false NLA connection<\/h3>\n
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