Historical experience has shown that one common trait among dictators nearing the end of their rule is their resort to widespread and bloody repression. In the final days of the Shah’s regime, military forces opened fire on protesters in Jaleh Square, killing hundreds — possibly even thousands.
Today, similar signs indicate that the Islamic Republic of Iran is moving toward repeating a tragedy comparable to the 1988 massacre, during which, in the span of a few months, approximately 30,000 political prisoners were executed.
Javaid Rehman, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran (2018–2024), has described the 1988 massacre as “genocide,” since the victims were executed solely for their beliefs or suspected association with a political organization.
This past Saturday, two more members of the same organization were executed, and reports indicate that another 14 individuals are currently on death row on the same charges, their political affiliation.
On August 18, 2025, the Iranian judiciary’s official news agency, Mizan, reported the 37th session of the ongoing trial in absentia of 104 members of the PMOI. This trial, which has continued for over a year, targets individuals who sought political asylum in European countries more than three decades ago.
It appears the Iranian regime is using this kangaroo-court for two main purposes: first, to intimidate Iranian youth and discourage them from joining “Resistance Units” affiliated with the MEK; second, to legitimize a broader campaign of repression against its sworn enemies, both domestically and internationally.
On Tuesday, July 7, Fars News Agency — affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — published an editorial titled “Why Should We Repeat the 1988 Executions?”
In the piece, the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in the summer of 1988 — coinciding with the end of the Iran-Iraq war and in which roughly 90% of the victims were members of the MEK — is hailed as “one of the glorious achievements of the Islamic Republic.”
The author concluded: “It seems the time has come to repeat this brilliant experience.”
The publication of such content by media closely aligned with security institutions stands as a serious alarm about the regime’s future intentions.
The mass executions of summer 1988 have been described by UN special rapporteurs as “crimes against humanity.”
In this context, Stephen J. Rapp, former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Special Court for Sierra Leone, warned in a Washington Post op-ed titled “The Next Massacre in Iran Is Already Underway” that the regime is reviving its darkest tactics and testing the global community’s willingness to act.
He wrote:
“The escalating human rights violations in Iran recall the darkest chapters of the country’s history and demand a strong and sustained international response.
This is not only about justice for the victims but also about the world’s credibility in preventing mass atrocities.
If the current trend continues, Iran’s execution rate by 2025 could surpass anything in modern history — except, perhaps, the horror of 1988, when nearly 30,000 political prisoners were summarily executed for merely supporting a democratic opposition.”
Massive Iranian Protest in Brussels – September 6
On September 6, tens of thousands of Iranians from across Europe will gather in a major demonstration in Brussels to call on the European Union to take immediate action to halt the wave of executions in Iran and to trigger the “snapback mechanism” against the regime’s nuclear program.
The rally, attended by prominent political figures from Europe and the United States, will continue with a large-scale march through the streets of the city.
Protesters warn that Europe’s ongoing silence and inaction not only deepens the crisis but emboldens the Iranian regime to carry out more executions and accelerate its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
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