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

Kazem E'temadi Eidgahi

About

Nationality: Iran
Religion: Non-Believer
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: April 30, 1983
Location of Killing: Evin Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Shooting
Charges: Counter revolutionary opinion and/or speech

About this Case

Mr. Kazem E’temadi Eidgahi is one of the 430 “Martyrs of the Peykar Organization for the Liberation of the Working Class” published on the website of Andeesheh va Peykar. 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. Mr. Kayqobadi, who was Mr. E’temadi Eidgahi’s cellmate at Evin prison in December 1982, mentions him in a book chapter in the edited volume The Inescapable Escape (Noghteh Books: Koln, 2008).

According to his former cellmate, Mr. E’temadi Eidgahi introduced himself to other prisoners as a candidate for membership of the Peykar Organization, and mentioned that his nickname in the Organization was Hossein Amuzgar. The author remembers him as bashful, dignified, and compassionate, qualities that soon led to him being in charge of the cell. According to the report of the Peykar Organization, Mr. E’temadi Eidgahi was an editorial board member of the Peykar publication.

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 (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 the 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 his cellmate, Mr. E’temadi Eidgahi was arrested while waiting for a taxi in a street without being informed of the reason for his arrest. He was taken to the Joint Committee (formerly known as the Joint Anti-Sabotage Committee, later renamed Tohid prison, which is Ebrat Museum since the early 1990s). At the Committee, he was beaten and tortured. The interrogators asked for his home address and when they were taking him to his home, Mr. E’temadi Eidgahi took advantage of a moment and attempted to escape. He was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital and then to Evin prison. There, a former comrade identified him as a political activist. Subsequently, Mr. E’temadi Eidgahi was returned to the Joint Committee for interrogation. He was later imprisoned at Evin prison.

Trial

According to his former cellmate, Mr. E’temadi Eidgahi was tried. But no detail is known about the trial.

Charges

His cellmate remembers that Mr E’temadi Eidgahi mentioned his charge as “cooperation with the Peykar Organization.”

Evidence of guilt

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

Defense

According to the information available, Mr. E’temadi Eidgahi defended socialism in court.

Judgment

Mr. Kazem E’temadi Eidgahi was executed by firing squad in Tehran on April 30, 1983, along with three other men (his cellmate). The list of the Peykar Organization reported the execution date as May 4, 1983.

Mr. Mohammad Ebrahim Ashkan (Ashqani) is one of the 430 “Martyrs of the Peykar Organization for the Liberation of the Working Class” published on the website of Andeesheh va Peykar. 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. Mr. Ashkan is also among the 12,028 individuals listed in an addendum to the Mojahed magazine (No 261), published by the Mojahedin Khalq Organization on September 6, 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.

According to the report of the Peykar Organization, Mr. Ashkan was an engineer and a political activist in Tabriz.

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 (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 the 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

The circumstances of this defendant’s arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

No information is available on the defendant’s trial.

Charges

No information is available on Mr. Ashkan’s charges.

Evidence of guilt

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

Defense

No information is available on the defense.

Judgment

According to the report of the Peykar Organization, the officials of the Islamic Republic announced that Mr. Ashkan was executed on October 19, 1981; although in fact he died under torture in Chahbahar (in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan) in mid-September, 1981.

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