Top Reform Cleric Group Speaks Out Against Show Trial

The top reformist clerical group, the Association of Combatant Clerics speaks out against the show trial that is currently going on in Iran. The group emphasizes how the actions of this regime violate the principles of Islam and that the trial is not legitimate:

"The families of our dear prisoners, who have been illegally and illegitimately detained for over forty days, had been waiting to see the return of their loved ones to the heart of the family before the birthday celebration of the savior of mankind and the reviver of justice, His Majesty “Vali-e-Asr” [The last of the 12 Shi’ite Imams, who is believed to be temporarily absent and is expected by Shi’ite Muslims to return and bring justice to the world]. But unfortunately another episode of this disgraceful and unethical scenario of the fraudulent and delinquent people was shown. With the excuse of a staged court session they showed the exhausted and depressed faces of these proud sons of the nation in the “visage of the Islamic Republic” [Iran’s state television] and injured the feelings of their families even more. Their armature act not only did not help resolve the tension and create peace but also arose the rage of our vigilant and brave nation.

At this point we find it necessary to indicate a few matters in this regard:

1- Detaining the accused in lock up for more than 24 hours without explaining the charges is forbidden according to the constitution. On the other hand the right to a lawyer and representation during the court sessions and trials is made very clear in the judiciary system of the country. Those whose loud claims of religiousness and justice has gone through the roof, with whose permission have they detained a huge number of committed and servant sons of the nation for over forty days in horrible conditions? The shocking reports are spreading around by word of mouth and then try them without the notice or presence of their lawyers?
When those servant and popular faces who have served the visions of the Revolution and objectives of the Islamic regime for over three decades are treated like this and their trivial rights are ignored, then it is not clear how the ordinary and anonymous citizens are treated.

2- The indictment of the defendants, which resembled articles of the corrupt newspaper “Keyhan”, was exempt of any legal principles and court-asserting reasoning, with a vulgar vocabulary. This is clear evidence on the weakness of proposed claims and has heavily hurt the judiciary body of the country. In any society the judiciary body is the refuge and resort of the people and protects property, life and dignity of the citizens. Ruining such a position means shattering hope and trust of the whole society. Unfortunately, in order to repress and destroy the opposition with their illegitimate and illegal methods they allow any accusation, insult and humiliation and anything for this purpose is justifiable for them.

3- The intelligent and aware people of Iran know very well that according to the verses [of Quran] and narratives and verdicts of the Islamic scholars and also based on the content of all legal systems in the world and the explicit [text of] our country’s constitution, any confession and acknowledgment which is obtained in confinement and imprisonment and under fear, stress and horror loses its credibility and bears no legal and legitimate weight. The story of Ammar Yaser who was forced to testify to subjects against his inner will is among the evidence in this regard. (Chapter “Nahl”, Verse 106 [in the Quran])


4- The staged show that was offered under the name of court and trial was mainly aimed to silence the political activists and the protestors objecting the result of the [recent] election, to clean up the accusation of fraud in the election from the record of its directors through the word of the oppressed detainees. They did this negligent of the fact that millions around the country will not be deceived by these tricks and will continue to consider the result of the election illegitimate. And the other goal of this staged show was to create an atmosphere to mislead the public opinion and to create negligence and indifference towards the political issues in the political field of the country. By laying out the trial plot of the defendants and confessions of some of those, which was a sensitive issue in the public opinion too, they had been planning to discard the mind and mentality of the people from horrid acts and inhumane crimes that are done in some detention facilities and attract people’s attention to the new issue of trials and confessions. But they were ignorant of the fact that the millions of human beings with hurt feelings by these crimes will continue to demand identification, trial and punishment of the directors [of the crime].

The Assembly of Combatant Clergymen condemns the performance of such an indecent drama called court, and only acknowledges a court which is held absolutely in compliance with legal and legitimate criteria and under the supervision of righteous and qualified judges."