Islamic Revolutionary Courts

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the investigation of the crimes committed during the Shah’s rule during the struggle against the people began. It was left to the “Islamic Revolutionary Courts.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Courts were established on 24 February 1979, 13 days after the victory of the revolution and its responsibility was entrusted to Hujjat al-Islam Sadeq Khalkhali. Investigation of the crimes of some criminals had begun a few days earlier. Four famous militants were executed. They had ordered the killing and torture of the people: Manouchehr Khosrodad (commander of the Havaniroz), Mahdi Rahimi (military commander of Tehran), Reza Naji (the military commander of Esfahan), and Nematollah Nassiri (head of SAVAK). After about a month since the court began, Imam Khomeini stopped the Islamic Revolutionary Courts from continuing his work on March 16, 1979. They wrote that speeding up trials and execution of criminal cases had been abolished and that the revolutionary courts should continue to operate under the auspices of the Islamic Revolutionary Council and the government, following the development of new regulations.

Before the development of a regulation, Imam Khomeini again issued a letter to Mr. Mahdi Hadavi, the prosecutor of the Islamic Revolutionary Courts, on May 13^th, 1979, emphasized that the death sentence should only be issued in two cases: someone who is proven to have killed someone and the person who ordered the massacre and committed torture that resulted in death. Shortly after the Rules of the Islamic Revolutionary Courts were drafted, the following crimes were brought under the jurisdiction of this court: Murder and killing to consolidate the Pahlavi regime and suppress Iranian struggles; imprisonment and torture of militant people; Major economic crimes such as looting or wealth loss for the benefit of foreigners; conspiracy against the Islamic Republic of Iran by armed action, assassination and destruction of institutions, spying for the benefit of aliens, armed robbery, raping and importing or distributing drugs. In early May 1979, Mr. Sadeq Khalkhali resigned but had issued the death sentences in absentia for Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Jafar Sharif-Emami, Gholamreza Oveysi (the military governor of Tehran and  the Commander of the Army’s Ground Forces), Ardeshir Zahedi (the Iranian ambassador to the United States) and Sha’ban Jafari, known as “Sha’ban the Brainless.”

Commissioner Rahimi (right) and his assistant Commissioner Norouzi at the Revolutionary Court

The clashes with the criminals of the Pahlavi government in the Islamic Revolutionary Courts have come to an end, and Imam Khomeini has also issued a public pardon for all the defendants of the Shah’s regime, except for those who ordered or killed the people and committed torture that resulted in the deaths of political prisoners.

The Islamic Revolutionary Courts’ actions were initially protested by the United States, Israel and some Western countries. They called the execution of criminals a violation of human rights. However, before the fall of the Pahlavi dynasty, the execution of political prisoners, their torture, and the shelling of people in the streets were supported by these countries. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s government maintained the political and economic interests of the United States and Israel in the Middle East region, while Western countries were turning a blind eye to the Shah’s crimes.

Over time, the Islamic Revolutionary Courts changed their responsibilities and handle matters such as hoarding and expensive selling. The activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Courts have continued to this day.