In the summer of 1988, thousands of political prisoners were secretly executed in prisons across Iran. Among the victims of the 1988 massacre were countless young, courageous women who faced brutal interrogations, torture, and execution for refusing to renounce their beliefs.
A newly released audio recording (BBC – Monday night, April 14, 2025) of Hossein-Ali Montazeri, then the designated successor to Khomeini, offers chilling insight into these atrocities. In this meeting with members of the so-called “Death Commission” in Tehran’s Evin Prison, Montazeri condemns the executions and highlights the horrifying treatment of women, including teenage girls, who remained steadfast in their opposition to the regime.
This recording, long suppressed, reveals in stark terms the gendered brutality of the massacre and the regime’s deep fear of women who dared to resist.
300 Female Mojahedin Executed En Masse – Including French Nationals
One of the most horrifying revelations concerns the mass execution of 300 female Mojahedin prisoners, many of whom had been arrested during Operation Eternal Light. Montazeri recounts a conversation with regime cleric Sadegh Khalkhali, who personally confirmed the execution order:
“Mr. Khalkhali was sitting right here. He said they brought in 300 girls, supposedly from Mersad (referring to Operation Eternal Light)… and two of them were French. Khalkhali said, ‘I was there. I told them to execute all of them.’ I said, ‘Not these two—they’re French.’ He replied, ‘No, execute them.’”
Montazeri expresses outrage at the regime’s disregard not only for life but also for international consequences, lamenting the missed opportunity to use the two French nationals as leverage in diplomatic negotiations:
“Do you realize how much we could’ve traded them for? With France—maybe for prisoners or something.”
Executing Women for Their Beliefs, Not Their Actions
The regime’s misogynistic and theocratic brutality is further revealed in a case Montazeri shares about a young female supporter of the Mojahedin, executed merely for her ideals—not for any act of violence:
“Eslami Shiraz brought a case file of a girl from Tehran… she had written her will to her parents, quoting the Quran and Nahj al-Balagha. I asked: ‘Did this girl have a history of violence or murder?’ He said, ‘No, she was just a supporter.’… She believed in God, the Prophet, the Quran—everything. She just said: ‘This Islamic Republic doesn’t match my ideals.’ Can you execute someone for that?”
Montazeri’s remarks underscore the deeply flawed legal and religious pretexts under which the regime operated, labeling dissidents as apostates despite clear signs of religious faith and nonviolence.
A Challenge to the Execution of Women Under Islamic Law
Montazeri also questioned the religious legitimacy of executing women under the regime’s own jurisprudence. Citing Islamic scholar Ibn Idris, he challenged the classification of many female prisoners as “mohareb” (enemies of God):
“I personally have doubts when it comes to executing women and girls… A mohareb is someone who takes up arms. Most of them had just read a leaflet and ended up in prison.”
These remarks directly contradict the regime’s justification for its mass executions, particularly of women, suggesting a fundamental deviation from even its own stated religious principles.
Ahmad Khomeini’s Role and the Scale of the Atrocity
The new recording also confirms that Ahmad Khomeini, son of Ruhollah Khomeini, the regime’s supreme leader at the time, played a major role in pushing for the mass killings. Montazeri quotes him saying:
“You yourself told me that all those 10,000 ‘Monafeqin’ (reference to PMOI supporters) who merely read their leaflets should be executed.”
This staggering number and rationale—executing individuals simply for reading publications—highlights the regime’s deliberate criminalization of thought and association.
Montazeri’s Warnings Ignored
Despite his senior position as Khomeini’s designated successor, Montazeri’s objections were ignored, and he was later removed from power. Even so, he proposed that if executions were unavoidable, they should have at least followed judicial procedures and been publicly explained:
“Say, 100 of them—could be prosecuted… sentenced to death and executed. Then we’d publicly announce: ‘These were their crimes.’ But what we’ve done now doesn’t align with any religious or logical principle.”
Yet, as the statement from the NCRI underlines, this partial internal protest did not absolve Montazeri from complicity, as he still sought to preserve the regime’s image rather than dismantle the system responsible for the killings.
No Immunity for Perpetrators of the 1988 Massacre
The Judiciary Committee of the NCRI emphasizes in its statement that no official—past or present—should be granted impunity for this crime against humanity. From Khomeini and his inner circle to current regime officials who were involved in the massacre, all must face justice.
The statement supports the assessment of Professor Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, who recently described the 1988 massacre as a crime against humanity and called for an end to the decades-long impunity:
“Many of the individuals remain in high-powered positions as of today. Those who committed crimes against humanity and other crimes in international law during the 1980s and subsequently must be held accountable.”
A Shocking Glimpse into a Dark Chapter
The release of this second Montazeri recording provides further chilling insights into the systematic extermination of political prisoners, particularly women, under Khomeini’s rule. It reveals not only the regime’s cruelty and misogyny but also the scale and ideological drive behind the massacre.
The NCRI reaffirms its call for international accountability, justice for the victims, and recognition of the massacre as an act of genocide—a demand that grows ever more urgent as more evidence comes to light.
