UNITED NATIONS

Economic and Social Council

Distr.
GENERAL

A/49/514/Add.1
31 October 1994

Original: ENGLISH

Forty-ninth session
Agenda item 100 (c)

HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTIONS: HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATIONS AND
REPORTS OF SPECIAL RAPPORTEURS AND REPRESENTATIVES

Situation of human rights in the Islamic
Republic of Iran

Note by the Secretary-General

Addendum


After having finalized his report to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session, the Special Representative of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran received two letters dated 4 October 1994 from the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office at Geneva, transmitting the replies of that Government to some of the allegations of human rights violations and comments of a general nature contained in his memorandum dated 29 July 1994 and reproduced in chapter III of the main part of his report (A/49/514, paras. 27-29, 62 and 80). The replies of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran are reproduced in the annexes to the present report.

ANNEX I

Letter dated 4 October 1994 from the Permanent
Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran
to the United Nations Office at Geneva
addressed to the Special Representative of the
Commission on Human Rights on the situation of
human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran

I have the pleasure to provide you, with reference to your memorandum dated 29 July 1994, paragraphs 15 to 17, a/ the following information regarding, in particular, the cases of Christian pastors in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been received from the relevant authorities in Tehran:

"The judicial authorities of the country, after the recent incidents of killing Christian pastors, initiated a thorough investigation with the assistance of law enforcement personnel in order to trace perpetrators.

"Consequently, a suspect named Mrs. Farahnaz Anami was arrested at Zahedan, Sistan Balouchestan Province.

"Mrs. Anami provided detailed information about the murder of Mr. Michaelian by her and her accomplices. She further disclosed that she was also given the responsibility of finding a suitable place for burying Mr. Dibaj, another Christian pastor who was murdered in another incident elsewhere.

"Two other persons were also arrested in this regard on the basis of information received from Mrs. Anami on the charge of complicity in the murder of the above-mentioned pastors. The perpetrators furthermore claimed that the assassination of Christian pastors were carried out on the order of the Iraqi-based Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) to which they were affiliated and the plan included other religious figures. Investigation still continues to find other accomplices and the persons involved in the murder of Mr. Dibaj and Hospian Mehr."

It is to be noted that the reply in regard to other cases referred to in your letter will be sent in due course.

(Signed) Sirous NASSERI
Ambassador
Permanent Representative

Notes

a/ A/49/514, annex, paras 27-29 and 62.

ANNEX II

Letter dated 4 October 1994 from the Permanent
Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran
to the United Nations Office at Geneva
addressed to the Special Representative of the
Commission on Human Rights on the situation of
human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran

With reference to your memorandum dated 29 July 1994, I have the pleasure to provide you with information which has been forwarded by the authorities concerned in my country, and in response to your inquiry about the matters referred to in paragraphs 15 to 17 of the aforesaid memorandum. a/

"The list of crimes perpetrated or attempted by the international terrorist organization, the Mojahedin Khalq Organization, (MKO), from June to August 1994, in a chronological order, includes the following:

"1. 20 June 1994. A powerful bomb planted by Mr. Mehdi Nahvi, a member of the MKO, in the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza at Mashhad, blasted the congregation of innocent pilgrims, martyred 26 and wounded tens more on one of the most sacred days of the Islamic calendar year.

"2. 23 June 1994. Mr. Bahram Abbasizadeh, a member of MKO, was arrested at Zahedan, with a bomb placed in a water canteen in his possession. He had been assigned to plant that bomb at the Makki Mosque, the Sunni Muslims' Centre for Friday prayers. His arrest led to the subsequent identification of Mr. Nahvi.

"3. 29 June 1994. Four MKO members, namely, Mr. Majid Esfandiari, wanted terrorist leader of a former underground MKO cell in the Nezamadbad district of Tehran, Ms. Batoul Vaferi Kalateh, Miss Farahnaz Anami, and Miss Maryam Shahbazpoor, lured a Christian priest, Mr. Tatabous Mikailian, to a safe house and murdered him.

"4. 5 July 1994. Acting on several tips, the security forces arrested Ms. Kalateh and Miss Shahbazpoor while attempting to plant two bombs, one destined for Imam Khomeini's mausoleum in Tehran, and the other for the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Masumeh in the city of Qom. Their capture led to the identification and subsequent detention of Miss Anami, at Zahedan, while intending to flee the country.

"5. 5 July 1994. Mr. Majid Esfandiari, the MKO member who headed the murder conspiracy of the Priest Mikailian on 29 June, fled the country accompanied by another person, who is yet to be identified, via the Ilam border in the western Islamic Republic of Iran.

"The security forces seized two handguns equipped with silencers, two boxes of bullets, several MKO leaflets, a road map pinpointing several foreign airlines and embassies, reconnaissance reports on St. Luke's Church at Isfahan and Bishop Iraj Mottahedeh and another church member, Mr. Dimitri Bellous.

"Miss Shahbazpoor and Ms. Kalateh, using forged identification documents and a deceptive cover, approached Bishop Mottahedeh and Mr. Bellous, established necessary contacts with them and their families to prepare for their murder mission.

"Another road map, which pointed to a site in Sorkheh Hesar in eastern Tehran, later led to the discovery of the body of a man identified as the Priest Mehdi Dibaj, who had been stabbed to death and buried in that location.

"All of the above evidences were discovered in the safe house used by Mr. Esfandiari and the three other MKO women members. In addition, the corpse of Priest Mikailian was found stuffed into a large freezer in the same flat. He had been executed by bullets through the throat and back of the neck.

"1 August 1994. Mr. Nahvi, a wanted MKO member and known perpetrator of the bombing of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza at Mashhad on 20 June 1994, was hospitalized after a brief armed clash with security forces at Tehran pars, eastern Tehran.

"Mr. Nahvi stated that he had planted the bomb upon the personal order of MKO leader, Mr. Masoud Rajavi. The medical endeavours to save Mr. Nahvi were not successful and he died in hospital on 2 August 1994. The investigation thus suffered a setback as further information on this and other related cases could not be received from Mr. Nahvi.

"Three MKO women members, Ms. Kalateh, Miss Anami and Miss Shahbazpoor, confessed and gave details on their mission on behalf of MKO, including the above-mentioned assassinations of Christian clergymen and the bombing of various religious sites, during interviews with the foreign and domestic media. They also described the details of the assassination of Priest Mikailian for the members of the families of Priests Mikailian and Dibaj.

"According to incontrovertible information and evidence, cited in this letter, MKO, in its recent spate of terror and deception, committed a horrendous chain of crimes and tried to ascribe some of its deeds to the Islamic Republic of Iran and some to others. This was an attempt to spark religious and sectarian strife, first between Shiites and Sunnis, and between religious minorities and Muslims.

"The abundance of numerous facts, intelligence, and even outspoken statements made by MKO leaders and members, along with undeniable documents open to examination, leave no doubt that terror, torture and any inhuman action is considered valid and legitimate by rules governing MKO activities."

It is expected that the Special Representative would fully consider the above information in his observations and conclusions of his reports including the next report to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session.

(Signed) Sirous NASSERI
Ambassador
Permanent Representative

Notes

a/ A/49/514, annex, paras. 27-29, 62 and 80.