Brand new memoirs out of Ayatollah Hussein Ali Montazeri, composed inside 2000, provide the most legitimate account of size executions from a good authorities perspective. Montazeri was, inside 1988, one of the large-ranks bodies officials into the Iran, brand new appointed replacement out of Ayatollah Khomeini while the Supreme Frontrunner, and the high-positions official proven to have opposed new executions and have needed to get rid of him or her.
Montazeri’s memoir shown a copy of secret fatwa (spiritual order) one Ayatollah Khomeini got issued for the later July 1988, designating a panel to review the newest instances of MKO prisoners and you may perform all prisoners which stayed “steadfast” within their help of category, and emails off protest he had written in order to Ayatollah Khomeini in addition to committee accountable for using the new fatwa.
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“In the name away from Jesus, the Caring, this new Merciful. Since the treacherous monafeqin [hypocrites, term Iranian authorities use to relate to MKO people] don’t believe in Islam and what they say stems from the deception and you may hypocrisy, and because, according to the admissions of the leadership, they have deserted Islam, and because they salary battle facing God and they are stepping into classical warfare to the western, north, and southern area fronts toward cooperation of Baathist Cluster from Iraq, as well as was spying to have Saddam [Hussein, Iraq’s later president] against all of our Muslim nation, and because he or she is tied to the country Arrogance [All of us and you can West vitality] and then have inflicted nasty punches for the Islamic Republic just like the its the start, they pursue that people exactly who will still be firm in their standing regarding nefaq [hypocrisy] within the prisons regarding nation are considered to-be mohareb [waging combat facing Jesus] consequently they are condemned to help you performance. Into the Tehran, so it dedication is produced considering many viewpoint by gentlemen, Hojjatoleslam [honorific used for particular clerics] Nayyeri, Mr Eshraghi, and you can an agent of your own Ministry off Cleverness, regardless of if an effective unanimous choice is far more cautious. From the prisons out-of provincial capitals in the united states, the brand new views regarding a majority of [a trio comprising] the newest Shari’a legal, the brand new prosecutor general otherwise secretary prosecutor, and also the ministry out of intelligence member must be obeyed. It’s unsuspecting to exhibit 
compassion so you can moharebs. I am hoping you see Almighty Jesus along with your revolutionary outrage and you may rancor from the enemies from Islam. The brand new gentlemen who are guilty of deciding to make the decisions cannot forget, neither let you know a doubt otherwise questions as well as need certainly to try to function as ‘harshest into non-believers.’ To hesitate on judicial means of vanguard Islam is actually to disregard the fresh natural and holy blood of your own martyrs.”
The 3-individual panel accountable for to make people determinations turned into known one of survivors as “death panel.” In the memoirs, Montazeri had written one or two letters he had created to help you Ayatollah Khomeini, in addition to transcript out of a conference Montazeri got which have Nayyeri, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, who was the fresh user out of Ministry away from Intelligence regarding the panel, Eshraghi, along with his deputy Ebrahim Raeesi to help you protest the new constant prison executions.
The brand new ong the newest unquestionable principles of one’s Islamic system
“Shortly after my personal 2nd letter regarding protest [to help you Ayatollah Khomeini], discover no change and you will [the fresh new executions] proceeded,” Montazeri recounts. “Toward August fifteen, 1988, We confronted by Nayyeri, who was simply brand new spiritual judge from inside the Evin, Eshraghi who was the fresh prosecutor, and Pourmohammadi who was simply the latest user of one’s Ministry of information. I advised him or her that they should stop the executions from inside the times from Moharram. Nayyeri replied: ‘We have at this point conducted 7-hundred and you will 50 members of Tehran, and we provides identified another a couple of-hundred people. Help us eliminate them then we are going to listen for you…!’”
