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

Seyed Abdolrahman Azmayesh

About

Age: 32
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Non-Believer
Civil Status: Married

Case

Date of Killing: January 25, 1983
Location of Killing: Evin Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Unspecified execution method
Charges: Possession of arms; Plotting to overthrow the Islamic Republic; Membership of anti-regime guerilla group; Actively opposing the Islamic Republic

About this Case

The execution of Mr. Abdolrahman Azmayesh, a member of the Ettehadieh Komonist-ha, along with 21 others, was reported in the Jomhuri Eslami daily on January 27, 1983. This report quotes the public relations of the Islamic Revolution’s Public Prosecutor’s Office in Tehran. The information about his charges and defenses was published in the same newspaper on January 11, 1983.

This execution was also reported in an addendum to the Mojahed magazine (No 261), published by Mojahedin Khalq Organization in 1985. The list includes 12028 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.

Further information about Mr. Azmayesh, a father of one, was sent to Omid via an electronic form by a person familiar with the case.

The Ettehadieh Komonist-ha (the Union of Communists of Iran) was created by exiled opponents of the Pahlavi regime who mostly belonged to the Student Confederation. They followed the teachings of Mao Tse-Tung and did not believe in guerilla warfare. The group became marked by ideological divides during the periods preceding and following the 1979 revolution which caused it to split into several factions. One of the most important rifts was triggered by the decision by a number of members to take up arms and take over a city in Iran. The uprising plan, devised in the midst of an active and violent anti-communist campaign by the revolutionary Islamic government, split the Union in two factions: one supporting the armed movement and the other opposing it.

In the winter of 1982, armed members of the Union hid in a forest in the North of Iran (Jangal in Farsi) outside the city of Amol. This group, also known as the Sarbedaran-e Jangal, was involved in several clashes with the Revolutionary guards and ultimately, on January 26, attacked the city of Amol hoping to generate a general uprising. The attempt to seize Amol failed. It is reported that a number of the group’s members, revolutionary guards, and civilians were killed during the Amol clash. Subsequently, members of the Union, including those who opposed the Amol uprising, were arrested and tried for belonging to the organization and for having participated in the Amol clash

Arrest and detention

According to the form, Mr. Azmayesh was arrested on July 14, 1981, at around 7 pm, at a restaurant. He was detained at section 209 of the Evin Prison for six months prior to his execution. He was denied access to legal counsel.

Trial

According to this report Mr. Azmayesh was tried along with 28 to 29 others between January 9th and 15th, 1983. The trial took place at the 1st division of the Islamic Revolutionary Public Prosecutor’s Office in Tehran with Ayatollah Mohammadi Gilani as the residing judge.

Charges

Mr. Azmayesh’s indictment was read to him by Asadollah Lajevardi, Tehran’s Public Prosecutor. The text of this indictment is as follows: “being a member of the Central Committee in the [Union of Communists of Iran], as well as the Confederation [of the Iranian Students] in the United States, participating in the third convention of the organization and being elected as the head of the workers’ section.” His other charges were “being responsible for organizing the Tehran Committee…, being in charge of the workers’ section in the organization whose function was infiltrating factories and leading the workers astray, as well as inducing them to join the Union…, and leading all the strikes and counter-revolutionary activities of the [Union of Communists of Iran] in factories.”

It was also mentioned in the indictment that “when he was in charge of the Organization in Tehran he was responsible for all its activities there…such as the armed rebellion of the Sarbedaran-e Jangal which was supposed to be carried out in Tehran at first, but for some reason its location was changed to the forests of Amol. The defendant played a significant role in the transportation of organization’s weapons which were concealed in several suitcases by his subjects. Moreover, he had participated effectively in transferring the Head of Sarbedaran Committee; i.e. Hossein Riahi, to the forest.” The Public Prosecutor of Tehran ended the indictment by this statement: “There are tens of such charges and one can easily understand what it means to be the Head of Tehran Committee in such an atheist organization.”

Evidence of guilt

The report of this execution does not contain information regarding the evidence provided against the defendant.

Defense

According to this report, Mr. Azmayesh “pleaded guilty to all the charges in the indictment and gave further explanations about them.” However the defendant’s explanations were not mentioned in the report.

Judgment

The 1st division of the Islamic Revolutionary Public Prosecutor’s Office in Tehran sentenced Mr. Azmayesh to death. The sentence was carried out at 9 pm.

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