PRESS RELEASE
International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8 December 2025
ISJ Issues Formal Open Letter to Iran’s Leadership Demanding Accountability for Human Rights Violations, Judicial Abuses, and State-Sponsored Terrorism
Brussels — The International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ), a non-governmental organization supported by more than 4,000 cross-party parliamentarians across Europe and North America, today released a major open letter addressed to Iran’s highest authorities, demanding formal clarification, transparency, and accountability regarding grave violations of international law, human rights abuses, threats against foreign governments, and state-sponsored terrorism.
The letter, sent to Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, Chief of Staff to the Supreme Leader; President Masoud Pezeshkian; and Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Eje’i, details twelve categories of urgent questions that the Iranian government must answer within one month—by 8 January 2026. Failure to respond, ISJ warns, will be interpreted as a deliberate refusal to cooperate and will trigger further legal and political action.
Key Issues Raised by ISJ
1. State-Affiliated Disinformation Network
ISJ seeks clarification regarding an individual identifying as Pouya Ahmadi, who has circulated fabricated allegations against European lawmakers and the Iranian democratic opposition (PMOI/MEK and NCRI). ISJ demands that the Iranian authorities confirm which state body—MOIS, IRGC, the Presidency, the Judiciary, or the Office of the Supreme Leader—he represents and whether he operates inside or outside Iran.
2. Observation of the Mass In-Absentia Trial of 104 PMOI Members
The letter highlights the politically motivated trial launched in July 2023 against 104 PMOI members, overseen by Judge Amir-Reza Dehqani, which has held at least 48 sessions. ISJ announces its intention to send a delegation of senior parliamentarians and jurists to observe the proceedings and calls on Iran to guarantee Full access, full security, and unrestricted access to the court’s documents and files. ISJ requested formal confirmation of these guarantees.
3–6. Judicial Threats Against Foreign Governments, Red Notice Fabrications, and Violations of International Law
The letter challenges a series of provocative and unlawful statements by Judge Dehqani and the former Judiciary spokesman Masoud Setayeshi, including:
• Claims that France, Germany, and Albania are obligated to extradite Iranian dissidents
• Assertions that hosting Iranian refugees “threatens global peace and security”
• False claims that Interpol has issued Red Notices against PMOI defendants
• Declarations branding any participant in PMOI activities abroad as “Baghi” (subject to rebellion charges)
ISJ requests documentary evidence of these claims and demands their formal retraction, emphasizing violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, UNHCR non-refoulement standards, and international treaties to which Iran is bound.
7–8. Espionage Activities Abroad and False Claims About PMOI Support
ISJ challenges Iran’s use of Behzad Alishahi, a known intelligence operative expelled from the Netherlands for espionage and demands explanation for his role in the Tehran trial. The letter also asks for evidence supporting Iranian claims about PMOI support in Belgium, given that the largest Iranian demonstration in Europe since 2022 occurred in Brussels in September 2025, drawing tens of thousands.
9. Destruction of Mass Graves at Behesht-e Zahra (Section 41)
The letter condemns the documented destruction of the burial site of at least 5,000 political prisoners executed in the 1980s and during the 1988 massacre.
On 13 November 2025, six UN Special Rapporteurs—including Dr. Mai Sato—denounced the demolition as:
• A violation of international law
• Destruction of potential evidence of crimes against humanity
• A denial of families’ right to justice and mourning
ISJ demands accountability, the identification of responsible officials, and assurances that evidence of mass atrocities will be preserved.
10. PMOI Proposal for an International Tribunal
ISJ notes that since 2000, the PMOI has proposed an international tribunal in Switzerland involving Massoud Rajavi and Ali Khamenei. The letter asks whether the Islamic Republic now agrees to such proceedings.
11. State-Sponsored Assassination Attempt on ISJ President Professor Alejo Vidal-Quadras
The letter underscores findings from:
• Spain’s National Court, whose indictment states the order for the 2023 assassination attempt “was issued by the Iranian regime”
• The Iranian Foreign Ministry blacklist placing Vidal-Quadras at its head prior to the attack
• The Dutch Security Service (AIVD) 2025 annual report, concluding the attack was “highly likely ordered by the Iranian regime”
• A European Parliament resolution of 21 November 2023, describing the attack as “a horrific assault on democracy and freedom of expression”
ISJ demands confirmation of Tehran’s role, the whereabouts of mastermind Sami Bekal, and the identities of MOIS and IRGC officials responsible. It specifically asks:
When, how, and by whom was the decision to carry out this terrorist attack approved within Iran’s Supreme National Security Council?
12. Official Statistics on Executions and Current Prisoners
ISJ requests comprehensive disclosure of:
• All PMOI members and supporters executed since 1981
• Their burial sites
• Those currently imprisoned
• Those under death sentence
ISJ states these disclosures are essential for international judicial review.
A Turning Point in International Accountability
Professor Alejo Vidal-Quadras, ISJ President, along with Struan Stevenson and Paulo Casaca, signed the letter and emphasized that Iran must provide transparent, documented responses to each question. Failure to do so will propel ISJ’s efforts at the UN, in European institutions, and before international judicial bodies.
