Giulio Maria Terzi, Foreign Minister of Italy (2011-2013) and Honorary Chairman of the ISJ Committee on the Protection of Human Rights & Justice in Iran, addressed the August 27th international conference “Iran: 1988 Massacre and Genocide – No to impunity, yes to accountability”
I would like to address my greetings to all guests here today and especially the President-elected Mme Maryam Rajavi in this special occasion to encourage once again the International Community to finally bring to justice those responsible for the 1988’s massacres.
It is important to note that this meeting is attended by 1000 former political prisoners of the clerical regime, all from this movement, the MEK and the NCRI. Many of these former political prisoners were in jail for 10 to 15 years or more. 30% of them are women, many of them are carrying horrible signs of torture on their bodies, many of them have one or more members and even 10 members of their families executed, and they all are witnesses of crimes against humanity committed in 1988 by the regime. The memory of the martyrs of the 1988 massacre is therefore very much alive and becoming more forceful every day.
The 1988 massacre does not only belong the past of this criminal regime. It is one of the most significant and marking reference for Iran’s present and future history. More than 30,000 political prisoners were executed. Over 90 percent were active members of the MEK! All of them had been summoned in front of the “Death Commission”. None of them of them did bend about his loyalty and commitment to the MEK. They knew the high price to pay. But, they chose to stand tall by refusing to renounce their affiliation!
Let me also remind the prominent figure of Professor Kazem Rajavi cowardly assassinated while in Geneva he was bringing this heinous crime under the lights of the international community. But nowadays, his powerful mission is joined by many more voices, of politicians, experts, members of the civil society from all over the world.
Now it is the time to close ranks against this inhuman and bloodthirsty regime which, with the recent shame election as President of a mass murder like Ebrahim Raisi, has really crossed the line.
Let me recall, to this end, the words of Janez Janša, Slovenia’s Prime Minister, addressing the Free Iran World Summit 2021: “For nearly 33 years, the world had forgotten about the victims of the massacre. This should change. A United Nations Commission of Inquiry is of crucial importance to shed light over the horrible 1988 massacre. Families of the victims seek a Commission of Inquiry so that they could finally obtain justice and closure.”
While lobbyists for Iran’s regime are now attacking Mr. Janša for supporting a UN inquiry into the 1988 massacre, the Slovenian Premier’s call has garnered strong international support both in Europe and North America:
– A group of European lawmakers in a letter welcomed the position,
– while former Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird pointed to the “moral leadership and courage” of Slovenia.
– In the US, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey said Slovenia should wear the wrath and criticism coming from Tehran “as a badge of honor.”
As a former Foreign Minister of an EU country, I believe Mr. Janša’s call was perhaps the most ‘responsible’ act by a sitting EU Prime Minister in defense of accountability, justice, and the rule of law against crimes against humanity that have so far gone unpunished.
At the same time, I don’t have a choice but to stigmatize the HR Josep Borrell clumsy attempt distance himself, by emphasizing that the President in Office’s comments were “most definitely not” a reflection of the EU’s position. EU officials have a legal obligation to condemn rather than condone violations of human rights: the EU’s credibility and its longstanding position as a leading exemplar of human rights are at stake!
Not only PM Janša has called for a UN inquiry.
· On 29 June 2021, the current UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran Javaid Rehman called for an independent inquiry into the 1988 massacre and the role played by President-elect Ebrahim Raisi as Tehran deputy prosecutor.
· On 3 May 2021, more than 150 former UN officials and renowned international human rights and legal experts wrote to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, calling for an international Commission of Inquiry into the 1988 massacre. Signatories to the open letter include former UN High Commissioner and Irish President Mary Robinson, a former UN Deputy Secretary-General, 28 former UN Special Rapporteurs on human rights, and the chairs of previous UN Commissions of Inquiry into human rights abuses in Eritrea and North Korea.
· Furthermore, Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard said on 19 June 2021: “That Ebrahim Raisi has risen to the presidency instead of being investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder, enforced disappearance and torture, is a grim reminder that impunity reigns supreme in Iran. … We continue to call for Ebrahim Raisi to be investigated for his involvement in past and ongoing crimes under international law, including by states that exercise universal jurisdiction.”
In light of this, Mr. Borrell should end “business as usual” with a regime led by mass murderers and strongly encourage all EU member states to join Slovenia in demanding accountability for Iran’s greatest crime against humanity. The very questionable approach shown by HR Borrell raises serious concerns:
· on the one hand he blamed the Iranian regime as “a threat to international peace and security, together with its support for militias and non-governmental military forces” with reference to the drone attack against an Israeli tanker in the Persian Gulf;
· on the other hand he did send his emissary, Mr. Enrique Mora, to the inauguration ceremony of Raisi presidency, legitimizing thus one of the major responsible for terrible crimes against humanity;
There are thousands and thousands of people out there expecting for a much more assertive response by the International Community, and in particular the European institutions to the malign activities of the Mullahs’ regime, instead the absurd appeasement seen until now.
Now it is the time! Our call, as that of the thousands innocent victims, is no longer be postponed!