Accusations of mass murder against the Islamic Republic, with Khamenei's legal responsibility for the deadly repression

The Iranian Human Rights Organization reported on the accusation of planned mass murder against the Islamic Republic, focusing on Khamenei's legal responsibility for the deadly suppression of protests and warning about the repetition of crimes in prisons.

While the Islamic Republic continues to refuse to provide transparent statistics on the victims of nationwide protests, the Iranian Human Rights Organization, citing field data, eyewitness accounts, and information from families, has warned about the true dimensions of the killing of protesters and has considered this repression to be an example of an organized and widespread crime; a crime that can be examined under the heading of "crime against humanity" within the framework of international law.

Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, the director of the Oslo-based Iranian Human Rights Organization, announced in a message he posted on the X social network on Tuesday, January 20, 2021, that the actual number of protesters killed in the new round of protests in Iran may exceed even the highest media estimates.

Emphasizing the existing evidence, he said that what has been published so far reflects only part of the reality and that the dimensions of the massacre are much wider.

According to Amiri-Moghaddam, “the Islamic Republic has undoubtedly committed one of the largest mass killings of protesters in modern times,” and evidence suggests that the killings were planned and coordinated. From a legal perspective, organization, scale, and targeting of civilians are key elements of the definition of a crime against humanity, elements that, according to the human rights organization, are clearly visible in the suppression of Iranian protests.

The director of the Iranian Human Rights Organization stressed that these crimes were committed on the basis of “a single order from the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei,” and with the participation of repressive forces, especially the Revolutionary Guard Corps. Making such a claim highlights the direct responsibility of the chain of command; a concept known in international criminal law as “command responsibility,” which allows for the prosecution of high-ranking commanders and officials, even without direct participation in the field.

Amiri-Moghaddam considered the handling of this case beyond domestic mechanisms and called for its follow-up through the International Criminal Court. He also stated that placing the IRGC on the international terrorist list is one of the urgent demands of the human rights community, a move that could pave the way for legal accountability, targeted sanctions, and restrictions on the operational networks of this entity at the global level.

In another part of his remarks, he warned against the threats of the Islamic Republic authorities to issue and execute death sentences for protesters and called on the international community to take these threats very seriously. According to him, there is a risk that a new wave of killings will occur, this time in prisons and away from the public eye, a scenario that could be an example of the continuation of the same policy of repression, but in a more hidden form.

According to the latest estimate by the Iranian Human Rights Organization, published on January 14, 2025, the number of protesters killed has been announced at more than 3,428. According to the report, 3,379 of these people lost their lives between January 8 and 12 alone; a statistic that, from a human rights perspective, indicates the unprecedented intensity of state violence in a very limited period of time.

This human rights organization has also announced that it will refrain from publishing daily statistics for the time being, citing restrictions such as internet shutdowns, a tight security environment, and difficulties in verifying information; an issue that, according to observers, is an indication that the actual number of victims is likely to be higher and that there is systematic concealment within the government structure.

Overall, the assessments of the Iranian Human Rights Organization present a picture of a widespread and organized repression that raises not only political responsibility, but also international legal responsibility of the leaders of the Islamic Republic; an issue that could lead to the opening of legal cases in the future and an end to the impunity of the perpetrators and orderers of this massacre.