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

Nosratollah Biranvand

About

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

Case

Date of Killing: August 15, 1981
Location of Killing: Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Shooting
Charges: Unspecified counter-revolutionary offense

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Nosratollah Biranvand (wrongly published as Nosrat Birum Vand), along with eighteen others, was published in Keyhan and Jomhuri Eslami newspapers on August 16, 1981. The Public Relations Department of the Revolutionary Prosecution Office of Tehran issued a communiqué about the executions and released it to the Pars news agency. Mr. Biranvand is also one of 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. The Peykar magazine published a short article about him on September 21, 1981.

The communiqué of the Revolutionary Prosecution Office, which calls the convicts “sworn agents of the superpowers”, begins with a reference to the Koran: “It is but a just recompense for those who make war on God and His apostle and endeavor to spread corruption on earth, that they are being slain in great numbers, or crucified in great numbers, or have, in result of their perverseness, their hands and feet cut off in great numbers, or are being [entirely] banished from [the face of] the earth: such is their ignominy in this world . But in the life to come [yet more] awesome suffering awaits them” [5:33].

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

The charges against Mr. Biranvand are collective, vague, and include eighteen other defendants. In the announcement by the Revolutionary Prosecution Office there is no reference to a specific crime committed by any single defendant. The announcement charges Mr. Biranvand with being “a high level member of the Communication and Financial department, and in charge of connections with the American Organization of Peykar.” He and eighteen others were collectively charged with “attacking innocent people, assault and battery, murder, frequenting the safe houses, activities for overthrowing the Islamic Republic regime, planning to assassinate officials, intending to carry out plans for world imperialism headed by the US.”

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 the defendant.

Defense

No information is available on Mr. Biranvand’s defense.

Judgment

َThe Islamic Revolutionary Court called Mr. Biranvand “an enemy of God” and condemned him to death. He was executed in Evin prison in Tehran on August 15, 1981. He was 21 years old.

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