BEHIND THE IRAN HEADLINES Series, September 6, 2024, Alireza Jafarzadeh, NCRI-US Deputy Director
Following Professor Javaid Rehman’s final report as the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, the Iranian regime has launched an aggressive campaign of character assassination against him.
Released in July 2024 at the end of his six-year mandate, Mr. Rehman’s report highlights the systematic and widespread atrocities committed by Iranian authorities between 1979 and 1988, including the extrajudicial killing of thousands of political prisoners, particularly members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK).
Significantly, he categorizes these actions as crimes against humanity and genocide, driven by a state policy aimed at eliminating perceived religious enemies of the theocratic regime.
Naser Kanaani, Spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote in English on his X account, “Rehman has provided many services to the MEK, and it was not expected that he would not participate in the gathering of the terrorist organization.”
Tehran’s furious response, however, reveals a deeper fear and strategic vulnerability.
For decades, the Iranian regime has attempted to cover up its crimes from the 1980s, particularly the 1988 massacre in which over 30,000 political prisoners were executed. Despite these efforts, the Iranian Resistance has persistently exposed these atrocities, which have now been officially documented in Professor Rehman’s report.
The regime’s recent attacks on Rehman and his characterization of the massacre as genocide reflect its desperate attempt to suppress the truth about these long-hidden crimes.
Professor Rehman’s bold act of uncovering what the regime thought it had buried in the darkest recesses of mass graves is not merely an excavation of the past; it represents a beacon of hope for the future of Iran.
The international community must resist Tehran’s character assassination campaign against Prof. Rehman and the victims about whom Professor Rehman prepared his well-documented report. Instead, it should amplify the truth about the regime’s crimes against humanity and genocide of political prisoners and hold it accountable, as Prof. Rehman has done. The arduous task of holding the Iranian regime accountable for these crimes should be the next step.