Swedish court sentences ex-Iranian official to life for torture, executions
By Simon Johnson and Johan Ahlander
3 minute read
Iranian charged with war crimes goes on trial for 1988 prison killing
People react to the verdict of the Hamid Noury trial, in Stockholm
1/4
Supporters of People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran protest outside Stockholm District Court on the first day of the trial of Hamid Noury, 60, accused of involvement in the massacre of political prisoners in Iran in 1988, Stockholm, Sweden August 10, 2021. Stefan Jerrevang/TT News Agency/via REUTERS
STOCKHOLM, July 14 (Reuters) - A Swedish court on Thursday sentenced a former Iranian official to life in prison for his part in the mass execution and torture of political prisoners in the 1980s.
Hamid Noury, 61, who was arrested at a Stockholm airport in 2019, was charged with war crimes for the mass execution and torture of political prisoners at the Gohardasht prison in Karaj, Iran, in 1988. read more
Handing down its conviction and sentence, the Stockholm District Court said Noury, who it said was an assistant to the deputy prosecutor at the prison, had been "jointly and in collusion with others been involved in the executions", which it described as a "serious crime against international law".
Advertisement • Scroll to continue
Iran condemned the verdict. "Iran is absolutely certain that Noury's sentence was politically motivated and it has no legal validity," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in a statement.
Amnesty International has put the number executed on government orders at around 5,000, saying in a 2018 report that "the real number could be higher". Iran has never acknowledged the killings.
Advertisement • Scroll to continue
Noury, who denied the charges, is the only person so far to face trial over the purge that targeted members of the Iranian People's Mujahideen, which was fighting in parts of Iran, as well as other political dissidents.
His lawyer was not immediately available for a comment. Noury can appeal.
The verdict was met by jubilant cheers from hundreds of exiled Iranians who had gathered at the court.
Reza Fallahi, 65, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said he hoped that while in prison, Noury would provide information about the killings.
Advertisement • Scroll to continue
"We are looking just for truth and for justice," Fallahi, who spent 10 years in jail in Iran for supporting the opposition, said.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran, an opposition umbrella group, said in a statement "justice will be served" when the highest officials were brought before the courts.
Rights groups say hardline President Ebrahim Raisi was one of four judges who oversaw the executions. read more
When asked about allegations, Raisi told reporters in 2021 that "if a judge, a prosecutor has defended the security of the people, he should be praised".
Some Iranian clerics have said the trials of the prisoners were fair.
The case has soured relations between the two countries, with Iran calling the trial illegal.
Under Swedish law, courts can try Swedish citizens and other nationals for crimes against international law committed abroad.
Shortly before the trial ended in May, Iranian media reported Swedish-Iranian researcher Ahmadreza Djalali, sentenced to death on charges of spying for Israel, would be executed. Sweden also said on May 6 that a Swedish tourist also had been detained in Iran.
Reporting by Simon Johnson, Johan Ahlander and Anna Ringstrom in Stockholm, Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen; Editing by Alison Williams and Tomasz Janowski
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
# براندازیم #تيك_تاك_سرنگوني #قیام_تنها_جوابه
💞 # مجاهدین_خلق ایران #ایران # کانونهای شورشی
🌳# MaryamRajavi # IranRegimeChange
