UN investigator urges probe into Raisi’s role in 1988 mass executions

The UN official tasked with investigating human rights in Iran has backed an independent probe into the role of Tehran’s new president Ebrahim Raisi in mass state-ordered executions in 1988 when he was Tehran deputy prosecutor.

“I think it is time and it’s very important now that Mr. Raisi is the president (-elect) that we start investigating what happened in 1988 and the role of individuals,” Javaid Rehman says in an interview with the Reuters news agency.

“Otherwise we will have very serious concerns about this president and the role, the reported role, he has played historically in those executions.”

“We have made communications to the Islamic Republic of Iran because we have concerns that there is again a policy to actually destroy the graves or there may be some activity to destroy evidence of mass graves,” Rehman says. “I will campaign for justice to be done.”