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

Vazgen Mansurian

About

Age: 27
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Non-Believer
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: July 24, 1983
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. Vazgen Mansurian, son of Karabid, and of his will, was published by the Peykargar Student Union in the Peykargar publication, number 5, on August 10, 1984. He is also is one of the 430 individuals whose names appear on the list of “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. Mansurian was born in Masjedsoleiman to a middle-class family in 1956. After completing high school, he went to Tehran to study at the Architecture Faculty in Tehran University. He was married and had a son. He also went to France and was active in the Ehya Student Organization in Paris. After the revolution, he returned to Iran and continued his political activities in the Peykar 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 (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

Mr. Mansurian was arrested on November 19, 1982. Mr. Mansurian was tortured a lot while in detention. There is no further information available on the details of his arrest or/ and detention.

Trial

No information is available on Mr, Mansurian's trial.

Charges

No information is available regarding the charges against Mr. Mansurian.

The validity of the criminal charges brought against this defendant cannot be ascertained in the absence of the basic guarantees of a fair trial.  International human rights organizations have drawn attention to reports indicating that the Islamic Republic authorities have brought trumped-up charges, including drug trafficking, sexual, and other criminal offences, against their opponents (including political, civil society activists, as well as unionists and ethnic and religious minorities). Each year Iranian authorities sentence to death hundreds of alleged common criminals, following judicial processes that fail to meet international standards. The exact number of people convicted and executed based on trumped-up charges is unknown.

Evidence of guilt

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

Defense

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

Judgment

Mr. Mansurian was executed along with 50 other people by firing squad in Tehran on July 24, 1983.

He addressed his child in his will, saying: “You told me you did not want to be an orphan. I’m so sorry that your wish would not come true and you lose your father in such an early age, when you’re just a blossom… Please don’t cry for me and don’t let anyone else cry either. Give my greetings to everyone.”

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