BEHIND THE IRAN HEADLINES Series, June 21, 2024, Alireza Jafarzadeh, NCRI-US Deputy Director
The West’s unending appeasement of Tehran and cowardly capitulation to its hostage diplomacy constantly reaches new heights. The Swedish government handed over Hamid Noury to the terrorist regime in exchange for two Swedish citizens held hostage there. Noury was sentenced to life imprisonment in Sweden for his involvement in the 1988 mass execution of political prisoners in Iran.
Noury’s scripted malicious words against the main organized opposition, the MEK, upon his arrival at Tehran’s airport clearly showed that the regime recognized the MEK as being at the center of the 1988 accountability campaign that the Iranian Resistance brought to a new height nine years ago. Since then, many of the regime’s high-ranking officials have been implicated by international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International.
Ebrahim Raisi was the desired candidate of Ali Khamenei, the regime’s Supreme Leader, in the 2017 sham presidential elections. The Iranian Resistance launched an all-out campaign to expose Raisi’s role in the 1988 massacre. The slogans “No to the charlatan” – referring to Hassan Rouhani – and “No to the executioner” – pointing to Raisi – gained widespread traction in Iran.
In November 2019, Noury was dispatched to Sweden. Upon prior notice to Swedish authorities, he was immediately arrested by Swedish police on suspicion of participating in the 1988 mass executions.
At the request of Swedish prosecutors, the Iranian Resistance actively contributed to Noury’s trial, introducing dozens of witnesses and plaintiffs and providing extensive evidence, including a complete model of the Gohardasht Prison and a large museum exhibit in Ashraf 3, Albania.
The Swedish judiciary even held several sessions in Durres, Albania, to hear the testimonies of seven MEK members who were key witnesses but were unable to travel to Sweden. After a nine-month trial, Hamid Noury was sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity.
Now, let’s be very clear. Despite Noury’s exchange, the 1988 Massacre Accountability Campaign will move forward with full force as nothing can stop the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance’s struggle to overthrow the regime.