Court of ’67 Massacre: Another Witness from ‘Gohardasht Prison’ Testifies Against Hamid Nouri

The trial of Hamid Nouri continued on Monday, the 2nd of Esfand, in Stockholm, Sweden with testimony from a new witness, and Hamid Ashtari, a former member of the People’s Mujahedin Organization, testified in this court session that he saw Hamid Nouri in Gohardasht Prison in 1987 and 1988.

Mr. Ashtari, along with Iraj Mesdaghi, filed the first complaint against Hamid Nouri and is one of his primary complainants, but on Monday testified as a witness that he saw Hamid Nouri two years after his release as well.

According to his own account, Hamid Ashtari was arrested in April 1981 due to his collaboration with the publications department of the People’s Mujahedin Organization and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Hamid Nouri is accused of participating in mass executions of political prisoners in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj, an accusation he denies. He arrived on a direct flight from Iran to Stockholm airport on November 9, 2019, and was immediately detained.

Hamid Nouri claims that he was in Evin Prison from 1982 to 1993 and only visited Gohardasht Prison a few times on assignments.

Hamid Ashtari, who said he had seen Hamid Nouri several times in Gohardasht Prison, stated in Monday’s court session that he saw him on the street two years after his release, called him by the name Mr. Abbasi, and Hamid Nouri got into his car. However, Mr. Ashtari said that after introducing himself, Hamid Nouri got out of his car.

The witness added that he had never seen him smiling inside the prison and “he presented himself as a serious and cold person. I saw him a lot after the executions and his proud manner of walking became more evident after the executions.”

He testified that he has no doubt that Hamid Nouri is the same person as Hamid Abbasi.

As one of Hamid Nouri’s first complainants, Hamid Ashtari spoke about the process of filing a complaint against him, stating that before Hamid Nouri’s trip to Sweden and his arrest, he was informed about this trip through Iraj Mesdaghi.

On Monday, Hamid Nouri requested from the court president that Hamid Ashtari attend another session in court so he could ask his questions, but the court president objected to this request and said that no new points were raised in the court session and Mr. Nouri had time to ask questions.

Hamid Nouri’s lawyers also said that there was not enough time to ask all their questions of Hamid Ashtari as a witness. Finally, the court president asked Hamid Ashtari to appear in court on Wednesday, the 4th of Esfand, and answer questions from Hamid Nouri’s lawyers.

The holding of Hamid Nouri’s trial, which will continue until April 2021 in the Stockholm court of Sweden, has also drawn reactions from the authorities of the Islamic Republic.

Saeed Khatibzadeh, the spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, on the first day of Mr. Nouri’s trial called the trial “a design” by the People’s Mujahedin Organization and claimed that the Swedish court “has relied on a series of stories, false documentation and witness fabrication, all of which were carried out by a small group.”

Source: Radio Farda