Letter Regarding the Execution of Political Prisoners

Excerpts from the letter of Ayatollah Montazeri to Ayatollah Khomeini regarding execution of political prisoners

 

Excerpt from message to Mousavi Ardebili, at the time the head of the Supreme Branch of the Judiciary:

“Hadn’t your judges already sentenced them to five or ten years in prison, weren’t you responsible, then by telephone you tell Ahmad Agha* to, for example, execute them in Kashan or Esfahan….  You yourself should have gone and spoken to them that someone who, for example, has been in prison for some time, and has been sentenced to five years in prison, and had no idea of the activities of theMonafeqeen**, why should we be executing them?”

 

Excerpt from a letter to Ayatollah Khomeini:

“Are you aware of the crimes being perpetuated in the prisons of the Islamic Republic in the name of Islam – the likes of which were not seen in the Shah’s sinister regime?  Do you know that a large number of prisoners have died under torture by their interrogators?  Do you know that in the Mashhad prison, approximately 25 girls were forced to remove their ovaries and uteruses because of what happened to them…?  Do you know that in some prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran, young girls are violated by force…  Tortures and the barbaric actions against prisoners, specially virgin girls, that took place at that juncture, according to what has been said by the survivors is undeniable”

Excerpt from another letter to Ayatollah Khomeini:

“Three days ago the Sharia judge of one of the provinces, who is a trustworthy man, came to Qom with unhappiness about the manner your Excellency’s command is being carried out.  He said that the official from the Intelligence Ministry or the Prosecutor (the doubt is mine) – in order to determine whether he still stands by his position – asked one of the prisoners ‘are you willing to condemn theMonafeqeen organization?’.  He said ‘Yes’.  He asked ‘Are you willing to give a public confession?’.  He said ‘Yes’.  He asked ‘Are you willing to fight Iraq at the war front?’.  He said ‘Yes’.  He asked ‘Are you willing to step on mines?’.  He said ‘But are all men willing to step on mines, and besides, you must not have so many expectations from me, a new convert to Islam’.  He said ‘Then it’s obvious that you still stand by your position’ and bargained with him over his position.  And this Sharia judge was saying that ‘no matter how much I insisted that the judgment is issued by vote and majority, it was not accepted, and the principle role in all stages is played by the Intelligence official and others are practically under his influence…”

* Ahmad Agha refers to Ahmad Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini’s son.

**  Monafeqeen refers to the Mojahedin-E Khalq (or MEK) organization.

From Hafteh Magazine (http://www.hafteh.de/?p=5908)

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