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

Bijan Irannejad

About

Age: 35
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Married

Case

Date of Killing: July 19, 1980
Location of Killing: Evin Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Shooting
Charges: Plotting to overthrow the Islamic Republic

About this Case

The information about Mr. Bijan Irannejad, Air Force Captain, has been sent to Omid, through an electronic form, by a relative. The execution of Captain Irannejad and four other individuals was reported in the Jomhuri Eslami and Enqelab Eslami newspapers on July 20, 1980.

Mr. Irannejad was born in Tehran on May 12, 1945. He graduated from the military collage. His file concerned the attempted coup, known as Nojeh.

According to available information, the planners of the Nojeh coup were members of the armed forces and the Iran Party (social democrat and part of the Iranian National Front) who opposed the religious rule and believed in the separation of church and state. The core of the coup d’état plan was to fly aircrafts from Nojeh base in Hamedan and bomb some military targets as well as the residence of Ayatollah Khomeini. Another team was to take over the radio-television building in Tehran in order to announce the coup and expose the motives to the population.

On July 9, 1980, the Islamic Republic of Iran authorities announced the discovering and dismantling of a civil and military network which had planned the coup d’état to overthrow the regime. Two months later, the organization Neghab, in a communiqué, claimed responsibility for this attempted ‘uprising.’ The Organization attested that ‘the path of Mossadegh is that of the people’ and today ‘Bakhtiar is its authentic leader… We have risen up to put an end to this curse [the Islamic regime] and to entrust the affairs of our land to the faithful disciple of Mossadegh – Shapur Bakhtiar’” (Iran: In Defense of Human Rights, National Movement of the Iranian Resistance, Paris, 1983).

Following the discovery of the plan for the coup, more than sixty officers and civilians were executed in several cities of Iran in less than a month. Most of the officers were still active in the army and had not been swept away in the first wave of purges which took place in the army after the fall of the monarchy. Executions of individuals involved in the Nojeh coup continued in the months and years to come; at least 200 persons were executed in relations to the coup.

Nureddin Kianuri, Secretary General of the Tudeh Party (the Iranian pro-Soviet communist party) mentioned the coup d’état in an article dated May 2, 2000 posted on the Rah-e Tudeh website. Kianuri stressed the fact that the military branch of the Tudeh Party, which cooperated with the Islamic Republic’s authorities, discovered and “neutralized” the above mentioned Organization as well as other groups that planned a coup against the newly established regime.

Arrest and detention

The details of Mr. Irannejad’s arrest and detention is not known, other than he was arrested at 11 a.m. on July 10, 1980 in Combat Base No. 8 in Esfahan.

Trial

Based on the newspaper reports, the trial was held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Martial Islamic Revolutionary Court at Evin Prison. The deliberation amongst religious judges lasted an hour.

Charges

Collectively, Mr. Irannejad and three other defendants were charged with “plotting and participation in a coup d’état to be carried out on Thursday night, 07/09/1980, against the Islamic Republic of Iran” and being “rebels against the sovereignty of Islam.”

In the indictment, the Public Prosecutor said: “These enthusiasts of the Shah’s rotten, filthy, and reactionary regime, these supporters of the blood-thirsty American imperialism, had in mind to bring ‘American social democracy’ as a gift to the liberated people of Iran. They had in mind to re-asses the opinion of our heroic nation about the return of the royal system through a referendum…”

The Public Prosecutor added: “This conspiracy was not planned in a vacuum and hence cannot be described in a single indictment; and these conspirators cannot be considered ordinary convicts… Considering that and by consulting the holy verses of the Koran regarding the punishment of the ‘rebel’ against the Islamic sovereign, it is imperative that the convicts receive their punishment according to the Shari’a law.”

Evidence of guilt

Based on the indictment, the evidences used against the defendants were as follows:
“1. The defendants’ clear confessions regarding:
a) plotting and intending a coup d’état to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran;
b) having prepared 35-50 aircrafts for their operation and for bombing various densely-populated parts of several cities;
c) intending to return the treacherous Bakhtiar to power if successful;
d) having prepared printed leaflets to distribute among people and threaten to suppress any resistance in case their plan succeeded;
e) having planned to take over military bases, the Mehrabad Airport, and the radio and television building;

2. Reports of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps attached to the defendants’ files;

3. Statements of each defendant about the other defendants;

4. Other evidence, testimonies, and references in the files.”

Defense

No information is available regarding Mr. Irannejad’s defense.

Judgment

The Martial Islamic Revolutionary Court condemned Mr. Bijan Irannejad to death. He was shot by a firing squad at Evin prison on July 19, 1980, a few hours after the court issued its verdict.

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