The twelfth trial session of Hamid Nouri, accused of participating in the 1967 executions, was held.

The twelfth session of the trial of Hamid Nouri, accused of participating in the summer of 2018 executions, on Monday, September 5, was dedicated to the testimony of Homayoun Kaviani, a former prisoner, and the questions and answers of the prosecutors and the defendant's defense attorneys.

Homayoun Kaviani, who was arrested at the age of 17 after participating in the demonstrations of June 20, 1988, was sentenced to life imprisonment during a trial that lasted only a few minutes on three charges: "supporting the Mojahedin Organization," "participating in the June 20 demonstrations," and "opposing the Islamic Republic regime."

Mr. Kaviani testified in the twelfth court session that he first encountered Hamid Nouri without a prison blindfold in 2017. He said that in Gohardasht Prison, Naserian, the prison warden, introduced Hamid Nouri to him and a group of fellow prisoners as his deputy and right-hand man.

The fourth witness in this trial told of the day when Hamid Nouri took him and several other prisoners to the "death corridor" and Nasserian led him to the "death committee." Kaviani testified that he saw Hamid Nouri walking back and forth in his uniform and files in his hands, calling out to others.

The witness further added that Hossein Ali Nayiri asked him at the death committee what his opinion was about the Mujahedin's attack on the west of the country. Naserian then gave him a piece of paper, as requested by the death committee, in which he condemned the Mujahedin's attack on the west of the country and asked for forgiveness from Ayatollah Khomeini, and he escaped execution.

Kaviani said it was on death row that he read the words on the wall next to his shoulder: “Nine children from Mashhad went to be executed,” and that was the moment he learned about the executions. He confirmed the statements of other witnesses about things like the increased food rations on execution days, the layout of the halls and cells, the numerous tortures, the existence of gas chambers, and the ban on mass sports.

Kaviani testified that on several nights while he was in the interrogation corridor, he heard women saying, “Don’t touch me, you scum. Leave me alone.” He said that after being transferred to Evin Prison in 2018, he heard gunfire two or three nights a week. He said that prisoners were informed of the number of executions by counting the number of bullets fired each night.

Kaviani spoke about several other direct encounters he had with Hamid Nouri, one of which occurred after he was transferred to Evin Prison.

At that time, Homayoun Kaviani's mother was suffering from breast cancer and was dying. His father asked him if he could do something to see his mother one last time. Kaviani asked Hamid Nouri for leave, and Nouri said he would grant it. Nouri later announced that his request for leave had been rejected. Another example of these visits occurred after Kaviani was released from prison.

The witness explained that after his release, he received a request from the Evin Prosecutor's Office to conduct an interview. On the day of the interview, he was taken to Hosseiniyeh and placed in front of a camera. That day, Kaviani sat without a blindfold a few meters away from Hamid Nouri.

In another part of his testimony, in response to a question from defense lawyer Hamid Nouri about the interview, the witness said: "Hamid Abbasi had placed a small camera and a chair up there. I went and condemned my entire life and thoughts and came down."

Kaviani testified that after the executions, he visited Hamid Nouri several times for various procedures, including surgery on his jaw and kneecap, which were damaged during interrogations. When asked by the prosecutor how he felt about facing Hamid Nouri in court, Kaviani said, “It’s very difficult. You don’t forget someone who has taken your loved ones.”

Another part of Homayoun Kaviani's testimony was dedicated to how he learned of Hamid Nouri's arrest. The witness said that Iraj Mesdaghi told him in a phone call that he was legally prohibited from sharing important news, but that he would tell him in due time.

Kaviani testified today that he saw a photo of Hamid Nouri at the police station and during interrogations by the Swedish police. The prosecutor asks him if he had seen a photo of Nouri online before seeing the photo at the police station. Kaviani replied: “No.”

During the trial, Daniel Marcus, one of Hamid Nouri's defense attorneys, claimed that Kaviani's testimony about when he saw Nouri's photo had changed and differed from his statements at the police station and to the prosecutor.

At the beginning of today's trial, Mr. Kaviani's lawyer, Göran Hjalmarsson, emphasized that the witness has been suffering from mental and physical problems from the events inside the prison for years and is receiving treatment in Switzerland, his place of asylum and residence.

The next court session will be held on Wednesday, September 8, in Stockholm, Sweden. The next witness in this trial will be Siamak Naderi.

Source: Voice of America