1988 Mass Executions of Political Prisoners

In late July 1988, Ruhollah Khomeini issued a secret fatwa ordering the execution of political prisoners across Iran who remained loyal to the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK/PMOI) or refused to renounce their political beliefs. Three-person 'Death Commissions' were established in prisons throughout Iran, each comprising a Sharia judge, a prosecutor, and an intelligence representative. In Tehran, the commission — chaired by Hossein-Ali Nayyeri, with Morteza Eshraqi as prosecutor, Ebrahim Raisi as deputy prosecutor, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi as Intelligence Ministry representative — processed prisoners in minutes. Estimated deaths range from 2,800 to 5,000 (UN, HRW, Amnesty) or higher. The victims were buried in secret mass graves. Ayatollah Montazeri, then designated successor to Khomeini, protested and was subsequently dismissed as heir. In 2016 his family released an audio recording of his 15 August 1988 meeting with Death Committee members in which he said: 'The greatest crime committed during the reign of the Islamic Republic... has been committed by you.' The UN Special Rapporteur on Iran concluded in a 2024 report that the executions constituted crimes against humanity and genocide. None of the perpetrators has faced legal accountability.