The regime tried to justify its crime and defame the MEK by pretending the executed were drug smugglers, which is an odd claim because there can’t have been 30,000 drug smugglers rounded up at once and international law bans the death penalty for non-violent offences.

The regime was, of course, simply trying to hide the fact that those they murdered were martyrs, who died while fighting for freedom. Despite this crackdown, people were not dissuaded from joining the MEK and the group got stronger.

Ayyaran

In Sorkh Hesar, one of the towns that saw many public executions of the MEK, religious leader Safi Gholi Ashrafi started a group of MEK members, called Ayyaran.

However, all 80 members of Ayyaran were arrested, along with Ashrafi, and in January 1989, the regime announced that they would soon execute a “dangerous gang of drug smugglers”, with two to be hanged in public for “acting against national security”.  

The two were Ashrafi and Rouhollah Ashrafian, hanged in front of family, friends, and neighbours on the Sorkh Hesar football field, while heavily armed Revolutionary Guards, police officers, and intelligence agents watched from neighbouring rooftops to make sure that no one intervened.

Other key Ayyaran members executed by the regime include:

  • Heidar-Ali Siahmansouri (1989), who, when told that his compatriots had been hanged, asked his family to make a sacrifice, which is a Muslim tradition to make a wish or thank God.
  • Seyyed Heidar Nouri, Ghorban Ali-Darvish, Amanullah Siahmansouri, Darvish-Ali Teymouri, Heidar-Ali Teymouri, Bahram-Ali Teymouri, Yahya Teymouri, and Gholam-Ali Teymouri (1988) were all executed during the massacre. 
  • Ahmad Zangi, who said that he had a last request just before his execution, which the regime’s agents thought would be him abandoning the MEK to save his life. He laughed at this notion and said clearly that he was a MEK member and that he wanted a sandwich.
  • Genetics professor Sadrollah Siahmansouri, whose scientific research is taught in Iran’s universities without mentioning his name. He was offered the position of health minister in order to make him turn his back on the MEK, but he refused.
  • Dr Gholam-Hossein Rashidi (1983), who had treated several wounded MEK supporters and members, was also offed that post but refused.

During the course of summer 1988, the Iranian regime executed more than 30,000 political prisoners – most of whom were supporters or members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK).

More than three decades later, the Iranian regime has still not been held accountable. Some of those involved in carrying out this terrible crime against humanity has even risen through the regime’s ranks, now occupying high-level and senior positions. The country’s justice minister Alireza Avaei and the head of the judiciary Ebrahim Raisi are two such individuals.