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Khamenei, Saeed Emami and the Chain Murders of 1988

The Chain murders of Iran (قتلهایزنجیرهای) or Serial Murders of Iranian dissident intellectuals, were a series of murders and disappearances of Iranians who had been critical of the Islamic Republic system in some way. A variety of methods were used to kill the victims – car accidents, stabbings, shootings in staged robberies, injections with potassium to simulate a heart attack – in what some think was an attempt to avoid outside attention from the international community. The killings spanned over several years and the victims included more than 80 writers, translators, poets, political activists, and ordinary citizens. The murders came to a head in late 1998 when three dissident writers, a political leader and his wife were murdered in the span of two months. After great public outcry and journalistic investigation in Iran and publicity internationally, prosecutors announced in mid-1999 that one Saeed Emami had led "rogue elements" in Iran's intelligence ministry in the killings, but that Emami was now dead having committed suicide in prison .In a trial that was "dismissed as a sham by the victims' families and international human rights organizations" three intelligence ministry agents were sentenced in 2001 to death and 12 others to prison terms for murdering two of the victims. Two years later, the Iranian Supreme Court reduced two of the death sentences to life. Picture 1, Ali Khamenei. Picture 2, Saeed Emami.

Following is a quotation from Fahimeh Dorri Nowgourani, wife of Saeed Emami (an important element in chain murders). She made this statement several months ago, and the office of the supreme leader has not denied any of these claims yet.)

I learned about Saeed’s background in jail. None of the family members knew he was Deputy Minister of Intelligence either. It was only after his death announcements in newspapers that all family members learned of his job.

Despite his high rank as Deputy Minister of Intelligence, I can’t remember him doing any favors for anybody, using his position. As of recent, a manager is given a private vehicle with a driver and bodyguards, etc., while we didn’t even have a car until 1991. He was very careful not to overspend the government’s money.

Two months after one of his missions in 1990, he told me a secret which I don’t see any reason to hide anymore, as he is not alive anymore: his mom was diagnosed with cancer and came to Tehran to live with us for six months. He was on a mission in London, accompanying Mr. Khamenei’s family during the last two months and was living with them. They became so close that Mojtaba, Khamenei’s son and Haddad Adel’s son-in-law, and his mother-in-law became very fond of him and Mojtaba would call Saeed every often, before his arrest, and would ask Saeed to visit him.

I had to take care of Saeed’s mom during these two months, as well as my own two young children. He didn’t call once and had mentioned it before that we should not expect any calls from him since he is not in a situation to be able to call. I just knew that he is on a mission. He had told me that he will call someone I did not even know and that person would inform me of Saeed and how he is. Months after he came back, on time Mr. Mohammadi Golpayegani (chief of staff at Mr. Khamenei’s office) was in a show on TV and Saeed told me this is the person who would call you when I was away. While his mom was not doing very well and was in her last days, they would tell him that she is doing well, not to worry about him and let him do his mission comfortably.

I would like to point out something. Saeed used to say that during that mission in London, a female member of the Khamenei family had occasionally done his laundry while he was out and Saeed had asked them not to do that, but they had told him that it’s ok and he is like a son to them. This shows how close he was to the Khamenei family, they were literally living together during those two months and if Saeed had any problems, they would have understood eventually.

Mr. Khamenei’s family was really fond of Saeed, his ethics and religious habits. Once in Mashhad, Mr. Khamenei’s mother in law came to our hotel to visit us and invited us over to her house. There she said a lot of nice things about Saeed, while Saeed had not told me anything about them. We had to use public transportation and would buy groceries using the coupons that ordinary people used as well. Only God is my witness that after I realizing Saeed’s position, I saw him with his driver on only one occasion and he would usually use a motorcycle for transportation.

Under the law of God:

"Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice" Koran (60-8) “…take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom.” [Al-Qur’an 6:151].

“Otherwise, as I have already said, a government not respecting the people’s vote has no religious or political legitimacy. I ask the police and army personnel not to “sell their religion”, and be aware that receiving orders will not excuse them before God.” Grand Aiatollah Montazeri June 2009.

The ones that kill innocent citizens, are blasphemers are blasphemers because they go against the law of God.

Under the law of men.

“The Iranian government at this time has ceased to be a legitimate government. A government primary role is to protect its citizens. They have done the exact opposite. They have hired thugs from the rural areas of Iran, Syria and Lebanon to beat, terrorize andkill its citizens. They pay the Lebanese more than the Iranian. 200,000 Tomans or $200. When your government takes measures to kill you…that is no longer your government! This is no longer about an election!” Anonymous post on Youtube.

“Crimes against international law are committed by men, not by abstract entities, and only by punishing individuals who commit such crimes can the provisions of international law be enforced” (Judgment of the Nuremberg Tribunal, 30^th September and 1st October 1946, Cmd. 6964, Misc. No. 12, London: H.M.S.O 1946, p. 41)

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