Iranian accused in mass executions begins trial in Sweden

The trial of Iranian Hamid Noury began in Sweden on Tuesday. The 60-year-old is accused of committing war crimes over his role in the Islamic Republic's 1988 mass execution of political prisoners at Gohardasht Prison, 20 kilometers west of Tehran.

Prosecutor Kristina Lindhoff Carleson opened the trial in Stockholm by accusing Noury of "intentionally taking the life of a very large number of prisoners sympathetic to, or belonging to, the People's Mujahedin (MEK)" as well as others considered to be opponents of the "theocratic Iranian state."

Hamid Noury has denied the allegations and his defense team pledged to refute all charges during the three-day trial. Defense attorneys deny Noury even worked at the prison.

Why is an Iranian on trial in Sweden for crimes he didn't commit there?

The trial is the first of its kind in Sweden and is taking place due to the country's principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows its courts to try a person on serious charges such as murder or war crimes, regardless of where the alleged crimes were committed.

Swedish prosecutors originally announced they would open their trial against Noury for "committing grave war crimes and murder in Iran during 1988," on July 27. A verdict in the three-day trial is expected in April 2022.

Human rights groups estimate that as many as 5,000 prisoners across Iran were killed in retribution for attacks carried out by the MEK at the end of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War. The mass executions are thought to have been carried out on orders from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Noury's participation, as outlined by prosecutors, included the handing down of death sentences, the transfer of prisoners to execution chambers, and assisting prosecutors in the collection and registration of prisoners' names.

Among those in court Tuesday were lawyers for a group of more than 30 civil complainants — including victims and their families — who helped bring the case.

How did Swedish authorities arrest Noury?

Noury has been in custody in Sweden since his November 2019 arrest at Stockholm airport. His arrest was the direct result of efforts by Iraj Mesdaghi, an Iranian justice campaigner and himself a former political prisoner.

Mesdaghi scrupulously compiled "several thousand pages" of evidence on Noury and ultimately set about luring him to Scandinavia with the promise of a luxury cruise. Noury was arrested as he stepped onto Swedish soil.

"This is the first time that one of the persecutors has been held accountable in another country," as Mesdaghi told AFP news agency.

But why is this relevant today, over 30 years later?

As the trial opened, MEK supporters were among several hundred protesters who gathered outside the Stockholm courthouse carrying photos of the dead and demanding justice.

Noury's trial is a particularly sensitive issue in Iran, as human rights campaigners say current government figures played key roles in the executions.

One of those accused of participation is Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's new president. In 2018, the rights group Amnesty International accused Raisi, who was head of Iran's judiciary in 1988, of being a member of the "death commission" behind the secret executions.

President Raisi has denied any involvement in the crimes. He has, however, praised Khomeini's "order" to carry out the purge.

js/jsi (AFP, Reuters)