The Iran Solidarity Network for Human Rights, on the 38th anniversary of the summer 1988 executions, announced that the pattern of oppression by the Islamic Republic continues and described the current wave of executions, the suppression of protests, and the issuing of death sentences as an extension of the policy of “governing through fear.”

In this statement, the suppression of protests in recent years, death sentences, and the process of review in Revolutionary Courts are described as a continuation of the policies of the 1980s, and emphasis is placed on the necessity of holding accountable the instigators and perpetrators of the summer 1988 executions and the ongoing crackdowns in international courts.

The signatories also called for the truth about mass graves to be clarified, an end to pressure on families of those seeking justice, and the implementation of justice, stressing that no political, economic, or diplomatic expediency should prevent the prosecution of those responsible for crimes against humanity.

At the end of this statement, a number of Iranian human rights and political organizations and institutions emphasized their continued efforts to document these executions and pursue justice in international forums.