Commemoration of 1988 massacre of Political Prisoners In Iran
international |
rights, freedoms and repression |
other press 
Sunday September 02, 2007 17:07
by Georgi Chicherin
After it was defeated in its war with Iraq, in 1988 the Iranian Regime massacred thousands of political prisoners. The majority of these were socialists and communists. This is the story of a commemoration which is held each year in honour of these martyrs. Full text and more photos at the link.
In Iran , every year on the 31st of August the families of those executed , gather in Khavaran , an unmarked cemetery where thousand of communists and socialists were buried , to commemorate the lives of communists executed in the regime’s jails. This year the families arrived with the same smile and courage that have marked these commemorations for years. Elderly mothers who lost their sons in that period were joined by younger members of the families as well as students and supporters of those executed in 1988.
This year’s government surprise was to dig a moat around the area to stop anyone reaching what Islamists in power in Iran call ‘ graveyard of the atheists meaning communists’ . The ceremony was filmed by the Pasdaran (Islamic Revolutionary guards) .
As soon as the commemoration finished a number of people were arrested including students who were there showing solidarity with the families of the deceased.