The "Chain Murders" in Iran were a series murders carried out in and near Tehran from 1988 through 1998, during which about 80 Iranian dissidents - intellectuals, writers, political activists, and poets were killed either by the Iranian Government or by agents acting on its behalf, possibly without the Governments knowledge. It was the prominence of the victims that made these murders note-worthy in a country that regularly eliminates those who speak out against the theocrats of the Islamic Republic. When the public first became aware of thie chain of murders, the Government did what it usually does - it blamed them on Israel, without explaining why Israel would want to kill OPPONENTS of the Islamic government. Later, in a highly unusual move the Ayatollahs admitted that elements of the Ministry of Intelligence were responsible for at least some of the murders. The Government sought to clear itself by insisting "Unfortunately, a small number of irresponsible, misguided, headstrong and obstinate staff within the Ministry of Intelligence, who are no doubt under the influence of rogue undercover agents and acting towards the objectives of foreign and estranged sources when committing these criminal acts." Many Iranians, however, didn't believe these agents would have dared act without the backing of the Islamic Government. The first victim of the "Chain Murders" (ghati-haye zanjireh-i) is believed to have been Dr. Kazem Sami Kermani. He had been active in working for the Iranian Revolution in 1979, and was rewarded by the Islamic Republic by being appointed the first Minister of Health under the new government. Later, he served as a member of Iran's new Revolutionary Parliament. However, he later became a critic of the Islamic Republic because of its human rights abuses. He wrote an open letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, criticizing some of his policies. On November 23, 1988, a man posing as a patient entered Dr. Kermani's private clinic, pulled out an ax and struck the doctor in the head, chest and arms, killing him. The assailant then fled. The Iranian Government then announced that the killer had committed suicide - though no proof was provided - and declared the case closed. Ali Akbar Saidi-Sirjani was a well-known journalist and poet. He was an early supporrter of the Revolution against the Shah, but became disillusioned, He wrote a book of essays and stories critical of the Islamic Republic. After its publication, The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance banned any works written by him. Saidi-Sirjani then wrote a series of letters critical of the Government and was arrested on March 14, 1994. Groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch condemned the arrest. On November 28, 1994, the Iranians announced that he had died in prison from a heart attack. The Government refused to return his body to his family or to allow an autopsy. Several years later it was found out that he had been killed by Saeed Emani of the Ministry of Intelligence, who had killed him by having a potassium suppository inserted in his rectum, causing the heart attack. Mohammed Mokhtari was a writer, poet and political activist, and a member of the banned Iranian Writers Association. On October 15, 1994, 134 Iranian writers had signed a letter objecting to censorship and restraints on freedom of expression in Iran. Mokhtari was one of the signers - several of whom were eventually murdered. On December 3, 1998, Mokhtari left home to go shopping and never returned. On the 10th his body was found near an unihabited area. He had been suffocated. Dariush Forouhar and his wife Parvaneh (Eskandari) Forouhar, had both been very active in the struggle against the Shah. Dariush had served the Islamic Republic as Minister of Labor for eight months in 1979. They both, however, grew disillusioned and began condemning the Islamic Republic because of its human rights abuses. They were subjected to continous surveillance, and Parvaneh told Western human rights activists, "We are living with the fear of being killed." On November 22, 1998, they were murdered in their home. Dariush was stabbed 11 times and Parvaneh 25 times. According to some accounts, Dariush was beheaded and Parvaneh had her breasts cut off. Since it was known that the home was watched constantly by security agents, Iranians assumed the Government must have been involved in the killings. Only three days later, on November 25th, the body of Dr. Majid Sharif was identified at the Tehran morgue. He had left his house on the morning of the 19th to go jogging and had disappeared. He was another dissident. On the afternoon of December 8, 1998, Mohammed Jafar Pouyandeh left his office in tehran to go home and was never seen again alive. His body was discovered south of the city on the 11th. He appeared to have had been strangled to death. He was another member of the banned Iranian Writers Association. Such was the fear among the public from these murders that the Iranian Government announced it had formed a commitee to investigate. The huge shock came on Jan. 4, 1999, when the Government admitted that the killers were members of their own Ministry of Intelligence. About 15 people were arrested, the most noteworthy being Saeed Emami. He had worked for the Iranian Government in the United States and at the United Nations before becoming a security agent for the Ministry of Intelligence. He eventually became deputy for security affairs. On June 20, 1999, it was announced that Emami had committed suicide in prison by drinking hair-remover. This report was met with skepticism because his body was never shown to anyone and the graveyard he was reported to have been buried in in has no records of it. It is thought he may have been quietly released, while others think he was murdered to silence him. Three other agents were convicted and sentenced to death for the murders and twelve recieved prison sentences. At their trial, all of the defendants admitted participating in some of the murders, but all said they were acting on orders from superiors who were no charged.
