Iran Blocks Families from Memorial at 1988 Mass Grave Site

Iran's police force has stopped dozens of families from visiting the Khavaran cemetery in Tehran to commemorate the 36th anniversary of the mass execution of political prisoners in the summer of 1988.

Reports from social media indicate that police blocked access to the site, preventing families from reaching the graves of their loved ones.

According to sources, an estimated 70 to 80 family members arrived at Khavaran only to find the gates closed and police personnel deployed there. 

In response, the families placed bouquets and photo frames of the executed people at the cemetery entrance. 

They also sang the "Khavaran memory" to honor the memory of those executed.

Khavaran cemetery is adjacent to several burial grounds for religious minorities. 

It is believed to be the site of mass graves where thousands of political and ideological prisoners were secretly buried after being executed in Tehran prisons during the summer of 1988.

In his last report, Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, emphasized that the actions of the Islamic Republic in the 1980s amounted to "genocide" and "crimes against humanity."

"The Iranian regime and its leaders should not be allowed to escape the consequences of their crimes against humanity and genocide," he said.