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June 16, 2025 (27 Khordad 1404) Lawdan Bazargan To the noble people of Iran, We, the Victims’ Families for Transitional Justice, are the families of those who were murdered during four decades of crimes committed by the Islamic Republic. Today, once again, the sound of sirens and the scent of blood fill the streets of Iran. On one side, Israel’s devastating assault; on the other, the Islamic Republic’s reckless nuclear and regional adventurism—together have turned our country into a battlefield. Iran is now caught between two fires: foreign bombardment and domestic repression. Not only Israel’s missiles, but also those launched by the Islamic Republic, primarily endanger the lives of defenseless civilians. We grieve for the destruction of our fellow citizens’ homes and feel the suffering of their families. The people of Iran are not the enemies of other nations; they are victims of the ruling regime’s propaganda and belligerent policies. The greatest danger lies in forgetting the roots of this catastrophe—and in the reproduction of tyranny. We call on all freedom-seeking forces to unite in building a democratic and accountable system of governance. History has shown that the Islamic Republic responds to every external defeat with internal repression, bloodshed, and fabricated charges such as “espionage,” sending innocent citizens to the gallows. The lives of thousands of political prisoners are now at risk. We demand the immediate and unconditional halt of all executions and the release of all political prisoners. Today, instead of offering help, the security forces are seizing phones and concealing the truth. They raid homes, arrest the bereaved, and bury facts beneath the rubble of censorship and fear. These actions are not about defending the nation—they are the continuation of the same war the regime has long waged against its own people. We call on the international community, the United Nations, and all human rights organizations to stand by the people of Iran and help alleviate their suffering, so that no innocent person ever again must endure the horror of war and destruction. 1. Do not recognize the Islamic Republic as the representative of the Iranian people. This regime has no legitimacy. 2. Hear the voice of the Iranian people through the millions who seek freedom—not through those who rule them. 3. End all political and financial support for the institutions of this regime. 4. Take action to restrain the regime’s violence and prevent further catastrophe. The goal must be to stop the war and enable a transition to a government founded on the will of the Iranian people. Now is the time to see, to listen, and to stand with the people of Iran. Tyranny is strengthened by silence—but liberation is made possible through solidarity. Victims’ Families for Transitional Justice

خرداد ۲۷ مردم شریف ایران، ما «دادخواهان ایران» خانواده‌های دادخواهِ قربانیان چهار دهه جنایت جمهوری اسلامی هستیم. امروز باردیگر صدای آژیر و بوی خون در کوچه‌های ایران پیچیده؛ حمله ویرانگر اسرائیل از یک سو و ماجراجویی‌های هسته‌ای و منطقه‌ای جمهوری اسلامی از سوی دیگر کشور را به میدان جنگ کشانده است. ایران اکنون میان دو آتش است: بمباران بیرونی و سرکوب درونی. نه تنها موشک‌های اسراییل بلکه شلیک موشک‌های جمهوری اسلامی هم نخست جان شهروندان بی‌دفاع کشور را به خطر می‌اندازد. ما بر ویرانی خانه‌های هموطنانمان می‌گرییم و رنج خانواده‌ها را نیز احساس می‌کنیم؛ مردم ایران دشمن کشورهای دیگر نیستند، بلکه قربانی تبلیغات و سیاست‌های تجاوزکارانه نظام حاکم‌اند. خطر بزرگ، فراموشی ریشه‌های فاجعه و بازتولید استبداد است. ما همه نیروهای آزادی‌خواه را به همبستگی برای ساختن حاکمیتی مردمی و پاسخ‌گو فرا می‌خوانیم. تاریخ نشان داده است که جمهوری اسلامی، هر شکست بیرونی را با سرکوب داخلی، خونریزی، و پرونده‌سازی‌هایی مانند اتهام «جاسوسی» جبران می‌کند و شهروندان بی‌گناه را به پای چوبه‌دار می‌فرستد. جان هزاران زندانی سیاسی در خطر است. ما توقف فوری و بدون قید و شرط همه احکام اعدام و آزادی زندانیان سیاسی را خواستاریم. امروز نیروهای امنیتی به‌جای کمک، تلفن‌ها را ضبط و حقیقت را پنهان می‌کنند. خانه‌ها را تفتیش می‌کنند، بازماندگان را بازداشت می‌کنند، و حقیقت را زیر آوار سانسور و وحشت دفن می‌کنند. این رفتارها نه دفاع از کشور، بلکه ادامه همان جنگی‌ست که حکومت علیه ملت خود به راه انداخته است.این ادامه همان جنگی است که حکومت با مردم خود آغاز کرده. ما از جامعهٔ جهانی، سازمان ملل و نهادهای حقوق بشری می‌خواهیم رنج مردم ایران را کاهش دهند و کنار آنان بایستند تا هیچ بی‌گناهی بار دیگر طعم جنگ و ویرانی را نچشد: ​۱.​جمهوری اسلامی را نماینده ایرانیان ندانید؛ این رژیم مشروعیت ندارد. ​۲.​صدای مردم ایران را از میلیون‌ها آزادی‌خواه بشنوید، نه از حاکمان. ​۳.​هر گونه حمایت مالی و سیاسی از نهادهای این رژیم را متوقف کنید. ​۴.​برای مهار خشونت نظام و جلوگیری از گسترش فاجعه بکوشید؛ هدف، توقف جنگ و گذار به حکومتی برآمده از خواست مردم ایران است. اکنون زمان دیدن، شنیدن و ایستادن کنار مردم ایران است. استبداد با سکوت تقویت می‌شود و رهایی با همبستگی ممکن می‌گردد. دادخواهان ایران

Mina Ahadi Mina Ahadi, born in 1956 in Abhar, Iran, is a prominent human rights activist and a leading voice in the fight against political oppression, executions, and gender-based violence. As a medical student at the University of Tabriz, she was active in the left-wing opposition against the Shah. Following the 1979 revolution, when Islamists seized power, and Ayatollah Khomeini imposed mandatory hijab laws, Mina Ahadi organized protests and demonstrations against these oppressive policies. Due to her political activism, she was expelled from university. In late 1980, Iranian secret police raided her home while she was at work, arresting her husband and five guests, all of whom were executed shortly thereafter. Mina narrowly escaped arrest but was placed on a government-wanted list. Sentenced to death in absentia, she lived underground in Tehran for eight months before fleeing to Iranian Kurdistan in 1981, where she continued her activism. After ten years of resistance, she escaped to Vienna in 1990 and later settled in Cologne, Germany, in 1996. Advocacy and Human Rights Work In 2001, Mina Ahadi founded the International Committee Against Stoning, a coalition of 200 international organizations working to end the brutal practice of stoning and other forms of capital punishment. In 2004, she established the Committee Against the Death Penalty. As the coordinator and spokesperson for both organizations, she collaborated with women’s rights and human rights groups worldwide, saving many individuals from execution, including high-profile stoning cases. One of her most notable campaigns was the 2006 international effort to save Nazanin Fatehi, a young Iranian woman sentenced to death. This campaign, co-organized with Canadian human rights activist Nazanin Afshin-Jam, gained widespread attention and led to Fatehi’s release. Awards & Recognition Publications External Links & Media Mina Ahadi continues to be a fearless advocate for human rights, fighting against the oppression of women and political dissidents worldwide. مینا احدی مینا احدی، متولد ۱۹۵۶ در ابهر، ایران، یکی از چهره‌های برجسته‌ی حقوق بشر و از صداهای پیشرو در مبارزه با سرکوب سیاسی، اعدام‌ها، و خشونت مبتنی بر جنسیت است. او به‌عنوان دانشجوی پزشکی در دانشگاه تبریز، در جنبش چپ‌گرای مخالف حکومت شاه فعال بود. پس از انقلاب ۱۳۵۷، زمانی که اسلام‌گرایان به رهبری آیت‌الله خمینی به قدرت رسیدند و حجاب اجباری را تحمیل کردند، مینا احدی سازمان‌دهی اعتراضات و تظاهراتی علیه این سیاست‌های سرکوبگرانه را بر عهده گرفت. به دلیل فعالیت‌های سیاسی‌اش از دانشگاه اخراج شد. در اواخر سال ۱۹۸۰، مأموران امنیتی رژیم ایران به خانه‌اش حمله کردند، در حالی که او در محل کارش بود. همسرش به همراه پنج مهمان دیگر دستگیر و مدتی بعد اعدام شدند. مینا با خوش‌اقبالی از دستگیری گریخت، اما تحت تعقیب رسمی قرار گرفت. او در دادگاه غیابی به اعدام محکوم شد و به مدت هشت ماه در تهران مخفیانه زندگی کرد، سپس در سال ۱۹۸۱ به کردستان ایران گریخت و فعالیت‌های خود را در آنجا ادامه داد. پس از ده سال مبارزه در کردستان، در سال ۱۹۹۰ به وین، اتریش فرار کرد و از سال ۱۹۹۶ در شهر کلن آلمان ساکن شد. فعالیت‌های حقوق بشری در سال ۲۰۰۱، مینا احدی کمیته بین‌المللی مقابله با سنگسار را تأسیس کرد—ائتلافی از ۲۰۰ سازمان بین‌المللی که برای پایان دادن به این مجازات وحشیانه و دیگر اشکال اعدام تلاش می‌کنند. در سال ۲۰۰۴، او کمیته مقابله با مجازات اعدام را بنیان‌گذاری کرد. او به‌عنوان هماهنگ‌کننده و سخنگوی هر دو کمیته، با سازمان‌های مدافع حقوق زنان و حقوق بشر در سراسر جهان همکاری کرده و جان بسیاری از افراد محکوم به اعدام را نجات داده است. یکی از برجسته‌ترین کمپین‌های او، تلاش جهانی در سال ۲۰۰۶ برای نجات نازنین فتحی، دختر جوان ایرانی محکوم به اعدام بود. این کارزار با همکاری فعال حقوق بشر کانادایی، نازنین افشین‌جم، سازمان‌دهی شد و پس از جلب توجه جهانی، منجر به آزادی نازنین شد. جوایز و افتخارات ۲۰۰۷ – برنده جایزه اروین برای سکولار سال از سوی انجمن سکولار ملی بریتانیا به خاطر دفاع شجاعانه از سکولاریسم و حقوق بشر ۲۰۲۴ – انتخاب توسط نشریه BILD به‌عنوان یکی از «پنج قهرمان آزادی» به خاطر مبارزه پیگیرانه‌اش علیه اعدام، سرکوب سیاسی و آپارتاید جنسیتی در ایران آثار منتشرشده Ich habe abgeschworen (به فارسی: «من اعلام برائت کرده‌ام»)، به‌همراه سینا فوگت، نشر Heyne، مونیخ، ۲۰۰۸ (زندگی‌نامه) لینک‌ها و منابع رسانه‌ای “چرا رنج مرتدان را نادیده می‌گیریم؟” – ایندیپندنت، ۲۵ اکتبر ۲۰۰۷ “اعتماد به مردم همیشه به من قدرت داده است” – خدمات خبری انسان‌گرا، ۲۲ فوریه ۲۰۰۸ (مصاحبه) “دین تو را احمق می‌کند” – دی‌ولت، ۲۳ فوریه ۲۰۰۸ “مینا احدی درباره سنگسار و پرونده سکینه آشتیانی” – تورینگر آلگماینه، ۱۶ اکتبر ۲۰۱۰ “پرونده آشتیانی: منتقدان دین خواهان انزوای رژیم ایران شدند” – ۲۴ نوامبر ۲۰۱۰ مینا احدی همچنان یکی از مدافعان بی‌باک حقوق بشر است که علیه سرکوب زنان، مرتدان، و زندانیان سیاسی در سراسر جهان مبارزه می‌کند.

Benjamin Weinthal Contributor Apr 9, 2025, 13:18 GMT+1Updated Apr 10, 2025, 10:47 GMT+1 Germany’s Federal Prosecutor says the investigation into the 1992 murder of dissident Iranian singer Fereydoun Farrokhzad remains open, following claims by an ex-IRGC official that the Islamic Republic ordered the killing in Bonn. Mohsen Rafiqdoost, a founding member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its minister from 1980 to 1999, recently described his role in funding covert operations abroad. His statements indicated that Iran was directly involved in orchestrating political assassinations beyond its borders, including the 1992 murder of Farrokhzad in Bonn, Germany. Ines Peterson, a spokeswoman for the German Federal Prosecutor, told Iran International that “I can only inform you that the case of Mr. Fereydoun Farrokhzad is not closed, but still under investigation. As a rule, however, we do not comment on details or alleged suspects. Likewise, we do not comment on motions or requests made by third parties to our office. Therefore, I can only confirm that we have received the email you have mentioned.” The E-mail that Peterson referenced was a letter sent by the German-Iranian activist Behrouz Asadi from the group Forum Woman, Life, Freedom. The group urged the Federal Prosecutor, Jens Rommel, “to intensify the criminal investigation into these matters – regardless of political considerations. It is of utmost importance that the Federal Prosecutor’s Office exhaust all legal means at its disposal to identify those responsible, hold them criminally accountable, and take appropriate measures to protect democracy and public security in Germany.” The German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) proposed, according to a 2024 report by North German Broadcasting, the theory that Iran’s government executed Farrokhzad because he mocked Iran’s religious leaders during his concerts. The BKA reported said Farrokhzad said during one concert appearance that he had sex with Islamic clerics. Farrokhzad, who publicly declared his homosexuality at a time when many gay entertainers remained in the closet, frequently ridiculed the Islamic government’s restrictions on sexuality. German-Iranians have long criticized the authorities in the Federal Republic for showing no appetite to solve Farrokhzad’s murder case. Asadi continued that “There is increasing evidence that the IRGC is directly involved in the planning, organization, and execution of assassinations and attacks against opposition figures and dissidents in Europe,” especially in Germany and France, the statement notes. It highlighted the 1992 killing of Farrokhzad as a particularly serious case, adding that legal proceedings are still pending. When questioned about Farrokhzad’s murder in Bonn, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office for the former capital of Germany, Martin Kriebisch, told Iran International “The exclusive responsibility for any statements concerning your inquiry is with the Federal Public Prosecutor General, so I kindly ask you again to address further inquiries directly there.” Kriebisch initially sent Iran International’s press query to the Munichprosecutor’s office, which replied that the crime was in Bonn and Munich would be the wrong place to refer to. Asadi’s letter added that “ In particular, there are statements indicating that high-ranking IRGC representatives—including Mohsen Rafiqdoost – were directly involved in the planning and execution of this crime. In several interviews, he has spoken openly about the elimination of opposition figures, particularly the targeted killing of Mr. Farrokhzad.” Mina Ahadi, a German-Iranian dissident who is slated to start a speaking tour this month in the US, brought up the case of Iran’s former ambassador to Germany, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, who is currently a researcher at Princeton University, and called for his arrest by authorities because of his alleged role in the murder of Farrokhzad. Mousavian wrote on X that “After reading the interview with Mohsen Rafiqdoust, ex-IRGC minister, I was stunned, amazed, and shocked…At that time, I was the Iranian Ambassador to Germany, and along with my colleagues at the embassy, I made extensive efforts for the return of Iranians residing in Germany who wanted to return to Iran.” Iran International reported that Mousavian allegedly played a role in the assassinations of more than 20 Iranian dissidents in Europe in the 1990s, including Farrokhzad. Mousavian, who was Iran’s ambassador to Germany from 1990 to 1997, has vehemently denied the allegations that he was involved in the mass assassination of Kurdish dissidents at the Berlin restaurant Mykonos in 1992. The former high-level Islamic Republic of Iran intelligence agent, Abolghasem Mesbahi, said during the Mykonos trial in 1997 that “Mr. Mousavian had a role in most of the assassinations committed in Europe.” In late March, the Iranian-American human rights activist Lawdan Bazargan, who oversees the campaign, The Alliance Against the Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists (AAIRIA), issued a call “for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Mousavian for his direct role in Iran’s state-sponsored assassinations across Europe.” AAIRIA organized a protest in at Princeton in April 2024 to demand Mousavian’s dismissal. Mousavian and Princeton University’s President Christopher Eisgruber refused to answer multiple Iran International press queries about Farrokhzad. 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