Abdorrahman Boroumand Center

for Human Rights in Iran

https://www.iranrights.org
Omid, a memorial in defense of human rights in Iran
One Person’s Story

Bahman Ezzati

About

Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: August 21, 1979
Location of Killing: Paveh, Kermanshah Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Shooting
Charges: War on God, God's Prophet and the deputy of the Twelfth Imam; Armed rebellion against the Islamic Republic; Corruption on earth

About this Case

Mr. Ezzati was an admired high school teacher with a literature degree.  For bringing medical supplies to a hospital in Kordestan, he was charged with “sending medicine to anti-revolutionaries.”

The execution of Mr. Bahman Ezzati and 8 other individuals was announced in the Kayhan newspaper on August 21, 1979. Information about this case has been gathered by the Boroumand Foundation from the book Sahifeh-ye Emam by Ayatollah Khomeini, volume 9, the book Ayam-e Enzava (Times of Solitude) by Ayatollah Khalkhali, the Kayhan newspaper, the report “The Demise of Sadeq Khalkhali” by Mansur Boluri (Iranian Political Bulletin, 30 November 2003), the report Murder at Mykonos published by the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, as well as an electronic form sent to Omid. Mr. Ezzati was a member of the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (PDKI). He held a master’s degree in Literature from the Tehran University and taught at a high school.

Mr. Ezzati’s execution was part of a wave of executions that took place in order to combat the “anti-Revolutionary” elements in Kurdistan. Following the negotiations between the PDKI and the interim prime minister, several clashes occurred, at times armed, between the Revolutionary Guards and the peshmerga (the militia of the PDKI) particularly in the cities of Sanandaj (Kurdistan province) and Paveh (Kermanshah province). These intensifying conflicts between the new central Shiite government of Iran and the mainly Sunni province of Kordestan concerned the role of minorities in the drafting of the constitution, specification of Shiite as the official state religion, and particularly the autonomy of the region.

Subsequent to conflicts that resulted in some casualties, on August 18, 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini issued an order to the military and the armed forces to “move to Paveh and end the fighting…” In the same order, he encouraged them to use force and threatened that: “if they do not move toward Paveh within 24 hours with missiles and tanks and all necessary arsenals, I will hold them accountable. And in case of any infringement of this order, I will treat them in a Revolutionary manner” (Sahifeh-ye Emam, p. 285). On August 19, Ayatollah Khomeini called the PDKI the “party of Satan” and declared it “unofficial and illegal” noting that some of these “anti-Islamic” individuals had boycotted the referendum of April 1, when people went to polls to vote for or against the Islamic regime (ibid p. 311).

In accordance with Khomeini’s order, Ayatollah Sadeq Khalkhali traveled the western region of Iran and told a reporter from the Ettela’at newspaper: “I will visit all areas of Kurdistan… and will bring to justice anybody who was involved in these bloody plots” (Times of Solitude p. 96). According to Mr. Boluri, Ayatollah Khalkhali condemned at least 58 Kurds to death in the span of 10 days. Mass executions and conflicts continued for many months in that region.

Arrest and detention

According to Ayatollah Khalkhali, Mr. Ezzati was arrested by the Revolutionary Guards near a hospital in Paveh. Whether or not he and other victims had visits with their families before execution is not known. However according to statements of Mohammad Ali Razizadeh, the religious judge in Kermanshah, it appears that authorities prohibited the families from visiting the prisoners: “I request the families to look after their children and watch for any anti-Revolutionary behavior or activity. [I also ask them] not to follow up with the cases of their children and let the Revolutionary Tribunals carry out their functions” (Kayhan August 23, 1979, p. 3).

Trial

According to Kayhan, “Ayatollah Sadeq Khalkhali… having visited the damaged parts of the city [Paveh] including a hospital, which was badly damaged by the attackers… examined the files of the offenders and after 14 hours of deliberation” he condemned 9 individuals to death, including Mr. Bahman Ezzati (Kayhan August 21, 1979, p. 2). Ayatollah Khalkhali calls this session a “Revolutionary summary trial” (Times of Solitude p. 95). Mr. Rezazadeh denied “the rumors of execution of leftists without trial” (Kayhan August 23, 1979, p. 3).

Charges

Ayatollah Khalkhali states that Mr. Bahman Ezzati was “one of the individuals who caused the death of Revolutionary Guards in the Paveh hospital” (Times of Solitude p. 96).

Evidence of guilt

Ayatollah Khalkhali mentions in his memoir that: “all the executed individuals… confessed during the interrogation that they had participated in the armed invasion of Paveh” (Times of Solitude p. 96). International human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for its systematic use of severe torture and solitary confinement to obtain confessions from detainees and have questioned the authenticity of confessions obtained under duress.

Defense

According to Ayatollah Khalkhali’s writings, Mr. Bahman Ezzati “defended his beliefs until his last breath” (Times of Solitude p. 96).

Judgment

Ayatollah Khalkhali condemned Mr. Bahman Ezzati to death. He charged Mr. Ezzati and 8 other individuals with “corruption on earth, and being at war with God and his prophet” (Kayhan August 21, 1979, p. 2).

According to Ayatollah Khalkhali, some of the residents of Paveh came to him and asked him for amnesty. He replied: “amnesty can be issued only by the leader of the Revolution [Ayatollah Khomeini]” (Times of Solitude p. 97).

Mr. Bahman Ezzati was executed by a firing squad on August 21, 1979 in the same location where Revolutionary Guards had died.

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