Professor Javaid Rehman, the former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, concluded his six-year mandate with a groundbreaking report that accused the Islamic Republic of committing genocide against its own citizens. The report, released in July, focused on a series of mass executions that took place between 1981 and 1982, and another in 1988.

Rehman’s findings detailed a litany of human rights abuses, including mass executions, enforced disappearances, and the 1988 massacre of thousands of political prisoners. The report also highlighted the regime’s persecution of religious minorities, women, and children.

The 1988 massacre remains a deeply painful chapter in Iran’s history. Under the orders of then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, the Iranian government systematically executed thousands of political prisoners. The primary targets were members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), but other leftist groups were also caught in the purge.

When Khomeini was forced to accept a ceasefire in the devastating eight-year war with Iraq, he sought to mitigate the defeat and prevent a domestic backlash by ordering the massacre of political prisoners.

In a display of both vengeance and fear towards the PMOI, he issued a decree that read: “As the treacherous Monafeqin [PMOI] do not believe in Islam and their words are nothing but deception and hypocrisy, and as their leaders have confessed to becoming renegades, and as they are waging war on God, and … It is decreed that those who are imprisoned throughout the country and remain steadfast in their support for the Monafeqin [PMOI] are waging war on God and are condemned to execution.”

“Death Commissions” were established across Iran to identify and sentence prisoners who refused to abandon their political beliefs. The victims were often buried in unmarked mass graves, their families left without answers.

While many perpetrators have escaped justice, efforts have been made to expose those involved. The names of nearly 100 “Death Commission” members have been made public, many of whom continue to hold positions of power in Iran. Human rights groups are urging the United Nations to take action to end impunity in Iran and bring those responsible for the 1988 massacre to justice.

Despite the Iranian government’s attempts to discredit Rehman, his report garnered support from international human rights organizations and experts. Over 340 lawyers, international law scholars, and current and former UN experts signed a statement defending the report’s professional integrity.

The NCRI, which has long advocated for justice for the victims of the 1988 massacre, welcomed Rehman’s findings. The group’s main constituent group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), was explicitly targeted by the fatwa that led to the killings.

Rehman’s attendance at a conference on August 24 in Paris further fueled the Iranian government’s anger. Tehran argued that any contact between UN special rapporteurs and the Iranian opposition compromised their credibility. However, Rehman dismissed these objections, stating that it was important for him to present his findings to victims and their families.

In a statement, Rehman stressed that he served as the Special Rapporteur on an unpaid basis for six years, adhering strictly to the UN’s code of conduct. He pointed out that through the smear campaign, the Iranian authorities were attempting to “escape and avoid accountability” for their atrocity crimes, chief among them the 1988 massacre of thousands of political prisoners.

“It was important for me to attend this meeting, to present my findings and to have a meeting with victims and their families some of whom I had interviewed,” Rehman said, adding, “It is shocking that those making such allegations have so little regard for my integrity and reputation, merely for participating in a conference that was directly relevant to my report the ‘atrocity crimes.'”

He also warned that he would take legal action against those spreading false allegations against him and urged the international community to focus on the findings of his report, which documents serious human rights violations committed by the Iranian authorities.

The Iranian government has also sought to discredit the sources used by Rehman in his report. Tehran has claimed that sources affiliated with the PMOI should not be cited in independent experts’ reporting, regardless of their status as eyewitnesses to human rights abuses.

The PMOI has documented the deaths of 100,000 of its own members over the decades, with more than a quarter attributed to the 1988 massacre. The NCRI has long maintained that the death toll from the massacre was around 30,000.

Rehman’s report has brought renewed attention to the 1988 massacre and the need for justice. He has called for an international investigation to ensure accountability for the victims and to prevent similar atrocities from happening again.

Bruce McColm is the President of the Institute for Democratic Strategies and the former Executive Director of the Freedom House