Amnesty International says Iranian regime’s refusal to acknowledge the 1988 prison massacres has led to decades of crimes and cover-ups to suppress any form of political opposition.

In a statement on Monday the international bodysaid the diplomatic representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran played a very crucial role in denying the massacres by spreading misinformation and opposing an international investigation.

“Over four decades later, current Iranian officials employ similar strategies to cover up and weaken international responses to crimes under international law and other serious human rights violations as they try to crush ongoing nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September 2022,” adds the statement.

“The authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran have maintained an iron grip on power for decades through the commission of horror after horror with absolute impunity. They continue to systematically conceal the fate and whereabouts of thousands of political dissidents they extrajudicially killed in the 1980s and dumped in unmarked graves. They hide or destroy mass gravesites, and harass and intimidate survivors and relatives seeking truth, justice and reparation,” said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director.

“Such crimes are not relics of the past. The anniversary arrives amid a horrific wave of bloodshed around the latest protests, as well as arbitrary executions and death sentences targeting protesters. This highlights the need for urgent global action… to bring those involved to justice,” she added.