The first trial of one of the defendants in the 1988 executions was held in Sweden today.
On Saturday, November 9, the Swedish border guard arrested an Iranian who is said to be one of the defendants in the 1988 executions. The identity of this individual was announced today, Wednesday, November 12, by the Swedish judiciary.
The Swedish judiciary announced on Wednesday, November 13, the identity of the person who was arrested by the country's border guards last Saturday. The person is named "Hamid Nouri", previously known as "Abbasi".
Hamid Nouri's identity was announced during the first trial and indictment hearing in Sweden.
According to Iraj Mosadaghi, a human rights activist and former political prisoner, “Hamid Nouri,” known as “Abbasi,” was the deputy prosecutor of Gohar Dasht Prison in Karaj and one of the eight members of the “execution board” in this prison during the mass executions of political prisoners in 1988. Hossein Ali Nayiri, Morteza Eshraqi, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Ebrahim Raisi, Esmail Shushtari, Mohammad Moghiseh (Naserian), and Davud Lashkari were other members of the “execution board.” This board was formed on the orders of Ayatollah Khomeini.
Hamid Nouri continued to work as an assistant prosecutor at Evin Prison after the executions. Iraj Mesdaghi told Deutsche Welle Persian: Hamid Nouri then worked in the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic and has very close relations with Ebrahim Raisi, head of the judiciary, Mustafa Pourmohammadi, former Minister of Justice, and Ali Fallahian, former Minister of Intelligence.
The Swedish judiciary has arrested Hamid Nouri, following the prosecution of Dr. Kaveh Mousavi, defense attorney and senior legal advisor to the Transitional Management Council.
Kaveh Mousavi said that after Iraj Mesdaghi informed him about Hamid Nouri's trip to Sweden, he obtained an arrest warrant for Nouri, which was enforceable throughout the jurisdiction of Europe, and the Stockholm border guard arrested Hamid Nouri after he entered the city.
According to Iraj Mosadaghi, the Swedish court today extended Hamid Nouri's temporary detention for another four weeks, despite the efforts of the Islamic Republic.
Iraj Mesdaghi, who was present in court when he was charged with participating in the killing of political prisoners in 1988, told DW Persian that the defendant appeared very anxious and worried during the hearing, with his hands visibly shaking.
According to some reports, the judge of this court was previously the judge of the tribunal investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity in Rwanda.
This is the first time that an official of the Islamic Republic has been arrested and tried abroad on charges of involvement in the mass executions of political prisoners in 1988.
Previously, a number of families of the executed, along with a group of Iranian and international defense attorneys, jurists, and human rights activists, had held a symbolic trial in The Hague, the headquarters of the International Court of Justice, during the "Iran Tribunal" campaign.
According to the organizers of that trial, the Islamic Republic had ignored all invitations to respond to the charges and to participate in the trial.
Source: DW
