August 26, 2026
The massacre of political prisoners in the summer of 1988 was an organized political crime. Although the massacre was carried out on the orders of Khomeini, this horrible crime could only be carried out within the jurisprudential structure of the Islamic Republic. In this unprecedented massacre, the regime’s top officials either directly participated or, at best, practically went along with it with their silence. Of course, only Ayatollah Montazeri publicly stood against it despite knowing the consequences of opposing Khomeini’s decree, but he could not prevent it from happening.
In any case, the massacre of the summer of 1988 cannot be forgotten, nor can its perpetrators be forgiven. Because the logic that made that massacre possible did not disappear with the end of that bloody summer. The repression, imprisonment, torture, and execution of protesters continued in prisons and on the streets in subsequent periods, and in each period, it took on a new face with new conditions.
The widespread repression and killing of opponents in January 2018, November 2019, the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, and January 2026 are other links in the same logic and history. A regime that sees protest and opposition as a threat to its survival and monopoly of power, in critical and decisive moments, thinks only of organized repression for its salvation. This regime stops killing when it no longer has the power to kill.
Although the Islamic Republic is primarily responsible for these repressions, the experience of nearly half a century has shown that the forces opposing the ruling tyranny have also been unable to defend themselves against executions and killings with a unified front and organize the people against them. Political and ideological differences have become so pronounced in some cases that defending the victims of repression has been marginalized.
The democratic opposition of Iran can change this situation, provided that it does not consider opposing executions and killings to be the sole responsibility of separate political tendencies. Joint and united defense of the right to life and freedom of political prisoners is the first duty of every individual, political and civic association and organization that wants to overcome the tyranny of the ruling regime. Crime can continue when the victims are separated from each other and cannot defend themselves. This separation weakens their voices of protest. It is in these conditions that the perpetrators of the crime feel immune and easily tie the noose around the necks.
Therefore, the killing of political prisoners in 1988 should not be limited to anniversary ceremonies, commemoration of the victims, and repetition of past narratives. We must be able to learn from our mistakes, bring our ranks closer together, and erect a barrier against the repetition of the crime.
The families of the victims and political prisoners have also played an important and unforgettable role in keeping the truth alive and continuing the lawsuit over the years. For nearly four decades, they have stood up to threats, pressure, and the regime’s efforts to silence the voices of the victims, and they have not let the names and fates of their loved ones be forgotten. Following up on the fate of the victims, insisting on the truth being revealed, preserving their memory and names, and resisting the destruction and removal of signs of the crime are all part of the struggle for justice. Despite the suffering inflicted on them, families have become one of the most important guardians of the historical memory of Iranian society. Supporting them and hearing their voices of justice is the duty of all democratic and freedom-loving forces.
To take action in this direction, it is not necessary for all political forces to resemble each other or to reach a single vision about the future of the country. What is necessary is an agreement on a few principles, such as opposing the death penalty, opposing torture, defending the right to life of prisoners, and standing up to killing. Such an agreement can create a strong barrier against repression, a barrier that the regime cannot easily cross, and society will also vigilantly prevent the victims from being eliminated separately and in silence. The victims of January 2018, November 2019, the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, and January 2026, and other victims are all victims of the same regime. It would be wrong to remember these victims only in separate lists.
The Left Party of Iran calls on independent activists, democratic institutions, and political parties and organizations defending democracy to rise up together to fight oppression, imprisonment, and execution and to make their voices heard. How many lives of the country’s youth should the Islamic Republic take and how many Iranian people should it imprison and execute before we come to our senses and unite our voices. Undoubtedly, the inhuman and tyrannical regime of the Islamic Republic must go, but this is not possible without the unity and joint struggle of democratic political forces and the people. We, the political forces, must give the people a convincing answer to the question of what we have done to end the regime of the Islamic Republic, which is the main cause of unrest, oppression, and killing of the Iranian people.
Political-Executive Board of the Left Party of Iran
August 26, 2026
چاپ
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