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

Mas'ud (Hashem) Abusa'idi (Najafi)

About

Age: 24
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Non-Believer
Civil Status: Single

Case

Date of Killing: August 5, 1981
Location of Killing: Evin Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Shooting
Charges: Armed rebellion against the Islamic Republic

About this Case

Information about Mr. Mas’ud Abusa’idi is based on an electronic form sent to Omid by a person familiar with his case. The Public Relations Office of Evin Prison announced the execution of Mr. Mas’ud Abusa’idi, son of Gholamreza, along with eleven other individuals, to the Pars News Agency. The news was published in the Kayhan and the Johuri Eslami newspapers on August 5, 1981. 

Mr. Abusa’idi was born in Semnan in 1957. He was single, a high school graduate, and worked in a bookstore. He was a sympathizer of the Peykar Organization for the Liberation of the Working Class.         

Mr. Abusa’idi’s name appears on the list of “Martyrs of the Peykar Organization for the Liberation of the Working Class,” published on the website of Peykar Andeesheh. This list contains the names of those members of the organization who died after the Revolution of 1979. More than 400 of the individuals on this list have been executed. This execution was also reported in the addendum of the Mojahed magazine, No. 261, dated August 6, 1985, published by the Mojahedin Khalq Organization.  

The Peykar Organization for the Liberation of the Working Class was founded by a number of dissident members of the Mojahedin Khalq Organization who had converted to Marxism-Leninism. Peykar was also joined by a number of political organizations, known as Khat-e Se (the Third Line). The founding tenets of Peykar included the rejection of guerrilla struggle and a strong stand against the pro-Soviet policies of the Iranian Tudeh Party. Peykar viewed the Soviet Union as a “social imperialist” state, believed that China had deviated from Marxist-Leninist principles, and radically opposed all factions of the Islamic regime of Iran. The brutal repression of dissidents by the Iranian government, and splits within Peykar in 1981 and 1982, effectively dismantled the organization and scattered its supporters. By the mid-1980s, Peykar was no longer in existence.

Arrest and detention

According to information sent to Omid, Mr. Abusa’idi was arrested, along with his comrades, at the office of the Peykar Organization in Tehran on July 29, 1981. He was transferred to Evin Prison. His family, who lived in another city, could not get any news of him. Mr. Abusa’idi was denied access to an attorney or any visitation with his family.

Trial

No information is available on Mr. Abusa’idi’s trial. According to the information sent to Omid, he was not tried.

Charges 

Mr. Abusa’idi and other individuals, who were executed together, were collectively charged with “Armed Rebellion against the Islamic Republic” or “Armed Action against the Islamic Republic,” according to Kayhan and Jomhuri Eslami,respectively. According to information sent to Omid, his only charge was for activity in the Peykar Organization.

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

The report of this execution does not contain information regarding the evidence provided against Mr. Abusa’idi.

Defense

No information is available about Mr. Abusa’idi’s defense.

Judgment

The Central Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal condemned Mr. Mas’ud Abusa’idi to death, and he was executed by a firing squad at Evin Prison on August 5, 1981. No specific information is available about the defendant’s execution. According to the information sent to Omid, and after repeated and unproductive visits by Mr. Abusa’idi’s family to Evin Prison, one day prison officials gave them an address with a grave number at Khavaran Cemetery and a will. In his will, Mr. Abusa’idi wrote, “Hello, I hope you are all well and happy.” The family had to exhume the body secretly in order to verify his identity.

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