Tayebeh Khosroabadi was arrested in early 1982 for supporting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
She was imprisoned for her political opinions and peaceful activities, such as distributing leaflets and attending demonstrations.
She was paralyzed and was not able to move her legs since she was born.
Tayebeh Khosroabadi was executed in the summer of 1988 while she had already completed her prison sentence.
Most of the victims of the 1988 massacre were serving prison terms issued years earlier. Some had already completed their sentences and were due to be released.
One of Tayebe’s cellmates describes her memory of the day of Tayebeh’s execution as follows: “When they called out Taybeh Khosrowabadi and two other prisoners who were suffering from psychological problems in prison due to torture, we did not think they would be executed because Taybeh Khosrowabadi was born with a disability and her prison sentence had ended. We were 100% sure they would not be executed because of their physical condition. So, we were trying to find the cell they were transferred to. We did not think at all that they were executed.”
A Crime Against Humanity
The Facts
- In 1988, the Iranian regime massacred 30,000 political prisoners.
- The executions took place based on a fatwa by Supreme Leader Khomeini.
- Three-member commissions known as ‘Death Commissions’ were formed across Iran sending political prisoners who refused to abandon their beliefs to execution.
- The victims were buried in secret mass graves.
- The perpetrators continue to enjoy impunity.
- Since 2016, the names of nearly 100 ‘Death Commission’ members have been revealed. Many still hold senior positions in the Iranian judiciary or government.
The Human Rights Council needs to conduct an international investigation into the 1988 massacre. This would be the first step to end the impunity for the officials, agents and those who ordered the largest political crime of the century.
Khamenei and other leaders of the regime need to be prosecuted and face justice for committing crimes against humanity.
