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

Mahmud Gholami

About

Age: 17
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Islam
Civil Status: Single

Case

Date of Killing: September 27, 1981
Location of Killing: Esfahan, Esfahan Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Shooting
Charges: Armed rebellion against the Islamic Republic; Participating in clashes with revolutionary guards and or Bassij brothers; Sedition and/ or threat to public security

About this Case

The information about Mr. Mahmud Gholami has been drawn from an electronic form sent to Omid by an individual familiar with this case. Mr. Gholami is also one of the 12028 individuals listed in an addendum to the Mojahed magazine (No 261), published by Mojahedin Khalq Organization in 1985. The list includes individuals, affiliated with various opposition groups, who were executed or killed during clashes with the Islamic Republic security forces from June 1981 to the publication date of the magazine. Additionally, the executions of Mr. Gholami along with 52 other persons were announced in the communiqué of the Public Relations of the Central Prosecutor’s Office, and published in the Kayhan newspaper on September 29, 1981. Mr. Gholami was affiliated with the Mojahedin Khalq Organization.

Arrest and detention

The circumstances of Mr. Gholami’s arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

According to the sender of the electronic form, Mr. Mohammad Taqi Hadidi, a co-defendant of Mr. Gholami, had said that one day they both, along with two other individuals, were blindfolded and taken to what, they were told, was their trial. First their names were asked and their affiliation with the Mojahedin Khalq Organization. Once they all confirmed that they supported the Organization, they were asked if they were willing to cooperate in the arrest of other supporters of this Organization. They refused. Then the verdict was announced: two of them were sentenced to execution (Mahmud Gholami and Mehdi Zamani) and the other two to life imprisonment (including Mohammad Taqi Hadidi). The exact date of this session is unknown.

Charges

The communiqué of the Public Relations of the Prosecutor’s Office stated the collective charges brought against Mr. Gholami and 52 other individuals as “armed rebellion against the regime of the Islamic Republic, terrorism, attacking the brothers of the Basij [a para-military group] and the Revolutionary Guards, attacking the dormitory of the Basij, throwing cocktail Molotov to public [property] buildings, vehicles, and houses of the people of the Party of God.” The personal charges against Mr. Gholami are not known.

The validity of the criminal charges brought against this defendant cannot be ascertained in the absence of the basic guarantees of a fair trial.

Evidence of guilt

No information is available concerning the evidence presented against the accused.

Defense

No information is available concerning Mr. Zamani’s defense.

Judgment

The Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal of Esfehan condemned Mr. Mahmud Gholami and 52 other individuals to death. They were shot by a firing squad in Esfehan on September 27, 1981.

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