In the summer of 1988, on the basis of decree issued by Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, thousands of political prisoners were executed. Many of the executed prisoners had already served their sentences, and many were ready to be released. Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri was once the designated successor to the revolution’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Montazeri opposed the executions of the prisoners without a fair trial. As a result of his criticism, he lost his place within the government.
In this audio file, you can hear a meeting which was between Ayatollah Montazeri, and four members of the “death commission” responsible for implementing the decree. The audio file reveals some of the dimensions of this appalling crime. Three members of the death commission currently have high ranking positions in Islamic Republic government.
