Over 300 international figures, including UN experts, Nobel laureates, former diplomats, and human rights organizations, have urged the United Nations to intervene and halt Iran’s escalating campaign of politically motivated executions. The coalition’s appeal, led by Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI), condemns the systematic execution of political prisoners as a severe violation of international human rights law.
The signatories specifically call for the immediate cessation of executions for Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, two individuals convicted on charges related to their alleged affiliation with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI). Their death sentences were upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court following a trial that lasted only five minutes and lacked due process guarantees. The UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Prof. Javaid Rehman, has characterized the 1988 massacre as “the gravest tragedy” since the Islamic Revolution, highlighting that it constitutes crimes against humanity and genocide.
The JVMI and supporting experts emphasize that these executions violate Articles 7 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which prohibit torture and guarantee the right to a fair trial. They call for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, and relevant UN bodies to take immediate action to prevent further executions and to hold Iranian officials accountable for human rights abuses.
This appeal underscores the urgent need for international intervention to address the ongoing human rights violations in Iran and to ensure accountability for those responsible for these atrocities.
