‘Pursue justice’ over trade and politics

OPINION:

The pain of the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners remains in the heart of families because justice has not been achieved yet. It’s time that we talk about the crimes committed by the religious dictatorship ruling Iran, like the 1988 massacre or the latest case of arbitrary arrests and carnage during last November’s protests in almost 200 cities in Iran.

We hear from the international community sentences like, ’we call on the Iranian authorities to make investigations’ and ’punish the perpetrators.’ It is clear that the regime’s national courts will not investigate the massacre. The minister of justice himself was one of the perpetrators of this horrible crime. The Supreme Leader Khamenei was involved in it and defends such atrocity. So, it is incumbent on the international community to take the initiative and obtain justice over this crime against humanity.

Why are the international community, the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and indeed the European Union, all so hesitant to do what they should do? In some cases, there are trade interests which overcome justice. Sometimes, it is due to political considerations as the appeasers feel shy to convey to the Iranian authorities that they cannot be tolerated by the world community. If this is the case, it should be clear that they are acting against our own democratic values and principles.

Sometimes, the international community fears the regime’s retribution through terrorist activities or arbitrary arrest of their citizens in Iran. Then we must not forget that this regime, while cruel and brutal, lies about everything, including its true strength. It has always been weaker than what it pretended to be and, right now, is at its weakest point.

There is a recent example that should convince the international community not to fear the regime, but pursue justice. We all know about the trial of Assadollah Assadi, the terrorist bomber diplomat of Iran who was to bomb the large gathering of the Iranian resistance in Villepinte in July 2018. Over the past two years, the clerical regime made every effort, including diplomatic pressure, economic incentives, taking European nationals hostage, and even terrorist threats to prevent Assadi’s trial and to secure his release. But, all these attempts proved to be futile due to the will of the relevant Belgian authorities.

Therefore, it is indeed a matter of political will of the international community to pursue justice. Then, we will see that the regime is unable to bully us and justice can be achieved. The mullahs are aggressive when they see the fear in their interlocutors. But they stand back as the cowards they are when confronted by strong and resolute opponents.

As president of the International Committee in Search of Justice, let me declare that ISJ is committed to serve justice in this case to ensure that all the perpetrators of this crime against humanity, who have remained unpunished for too long, will be held accountable in international courts and punished for committing a crime that is unprecedented in its cruelty and evil nature since the horrors of the Second World War.