Written by Mohammad Sadat Khansari
Iranian political prisoner testified in the 50th session of the trial of a former Iranian prison official held at a Swedish court on Friday. Hamid Noury actively participated in the Iranian regime’s crimes in the 1980s, mainly the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988 who were mainly supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
Noury’s trial began in August 2021 in Sweden, two years after he was incarcerated arriving in Sweden. A number of sessions of the trial were transferred to Albania in November per prosecutors’ demand to hear the testimonies of seven MEK members who are among thousands of MEK members in Albania since their relocation from Iraq in 2016.
Mr. Mohsen Zadshir who had spent ten years in prison for supporting the MEK testified in the trail said “I was tortured during my interrogation. I even went under surgery in Ghezelhesar prison”.
“I was transferred to Gohardasht prison. Since I had a lot of pain, I had to visit the nursery frequently. One time they called me to the warden’s office since I had to get his permission. This time I saw Hamid Abbassi [Noury]. It was my first encounter with him.”
Zadshir told the court Noury asked him to spy on his inmates. “He told me, ‘Mr. Zadshir, please sit down. Tell me about your cell. He asked me several questions then told me explicitly that you should cooperate before sending you outside for treatment. Then I said no and walked out,” Zadshir said.
“He called me again to his office and demanded me to wear a prison uniform. I said no. I am a political prisoner, and when he insisted, I walked out,” Zadshir added.
Zadshir also recalled how guards took prisoners to the “Death Corridor,” then to the “Death Commission,” and the “Death Hall” to be executed.
The “Death Commissions” consisted of four individuals who were tasked to identify the MEK supporters and sentence them to death once they refused to disavow their ideals. The “Death Hall” was a large warehouse where prisoners were hanged in groups of 10 to 12.
Zadshir also recalled seeing the guards taking large trucks full of bodies outside the prison. “Some nights, I saw two trucks coming to the prison, then go and come back after an hour or two. One night two trucks were leaving the prison. One of them had to come back for a reason. There as it tried to make a turn, I saw from [my cell] that it was full of bodies in large black plastic bags. I could see there were the victims in them. They had tied both ends of the bags,” he said. “I start to shiver now when I recall those days.”
Zadshir also testified that Noury was the one taking the prisoners to the death commissions and from there to the death hall. He also recalled that Noury and other guards “were joyful and eating sweets,” as hundreds of people were sent to the gallows.
Simultaneous with Noury’s trial, the MEK supporters and family members of the victims continued their protest outside the courthouse.
It should be noted that during his hearing sessions, Noury expressed that the MEK’s name in Iran is a “red line,” And using this name would even endanger Noury’s life, despite his loyalty to the Iranian regime.
This article was first published by ncr-iran
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