The Trial of Khosro Golsorkhi : Victim of the Shah's Firing Squad

Balatarin
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sadegh
by sadegh
23-May-2008
 

This is some incredible stuff...Khosrow Golsorkhi (1944-1974), a Marxist-Leninist with a rare gift for poetic composition, was given the opportunity to speak at his trial, since the Shah was hosting a human rights conference in Tehran in the hope of propagating an image of Iran as the paragon of modernity, civility and fairness. The verdict of course was a forgone conclusion and ended in Golsorkhi's execution at the hand's of the Shah's firing squad. To this day Iranians of all ideological persuasions remember and heap praise on Golsorkhi's point-blank refusal to turn his back on his executioners, compelling them to stare him in the face as they mowed him down in a hail of bullets.

It was hoped by the Shah that broadcasting the trial on television would rally public support to the crown. It of course did the exact opposite and to this day stands as a testament to the Shah's dictatorship and hypocrisy. Moreover, in the course of the trial Golsorkhi launched a truly scathing attack on the institution of the monarchy and the Peacock Throne's supplication at the alters of outside powers such as the United States and Britain. Because of this, most of the trial proceedings were censored. After the 1979 revolution the entire trial was shown on public television, but was censored once again after the fall of Mehdi Bazargan's government. Few people suspected at the time that the symbolic tragedy of the trial of Golsorkhi would go on to be repeated and relived by hundreds, if not thousands of new victims in a myriad of show trials, with only the most perfunctory respect for the rule of law and due process. Sadly, the only thing that had changed was the cast of characters passing sentence...


//www.youtube.com/watch?v=buTlBLGdUfo

Balatarin
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Ben Madadi

Re: Jamshid

by Ben Madadi on Sat May 24, 2008 06:21 AM PDT

Dear Jamshid,

I know that his man, Mr Golsorkhi, was what he says he was. My friend, we need to get used to disagreeing with each other. The Shah did SUCH A ORRIBLE thing killing that man. Oh such a horrible thing. How can you justify killing someone because you think he is wrong? Of course I don't agree with Mr Golsorkhi's ideology, but that does not justify killing him. Let them speak, let them express themselves. Imprison those who do harm to society by their anti-social behaviour such as terrorism or sabotage etc, but how can you KILL someone for disagreeing with you???? That is far, far, far, far worse than being an Islamist or a Marxist etc. Everybody has the right to be anything he wants as long as he does not harm others. Letting people like him speak would have actually killed Marxism in the public arena by proving that they had not had any real solution. Killing them and Islamists and imprisoning them angered people and facilitated Khomeini's ascent by creating martyrs and idols, what our community has always longed for.


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default

I hope he is resting in

by khosrow (not verified) on Sat May 24, 2008 06:19 AM PDT

I hope he is resting in peace now but time has proven his ideology to be wrong worldwide and not just in Iran.


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default

Heheee

by Sarzamine man (not verified) on Sat May 24, 2008 05:53 AM PDT

Golesorkhy yek Khaen bod va bas, hala inke hokmesh bayam marg mibod ya na ono mardom khahand goft, valy yek adame Iran dost nabod, va mesle kheylyha donbale ye tike zemine iran bod vase forosh, "Dar yeky az goftehash goft, man azadiro az Hossein didam, ye chyzy in shekly ", man nemidonam in Iraniha key mikhan in ghabre dozdaye arabo vel konan, kesy ke azady va ensaneyato to cheshme bozorgtarin ghatele on sarzamin dide bod, he is not worth a discussion.


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default

WRONG!

by Kam (not verified) on Sat May 24, 2008 05:45 AM PDT

Marxist Leninist!? He starts by "enamal hayat va haghighatan jahad" and quotes "Mowla Hossein".

He was what the shah referred to as Islamic Marxist. At the time this accusation by the Shah of Iran was rubbished in most circles. However, we all got to find out what he meant...MOJAHEDIN KHALGH.

The rest is history.

When you post something please make sure you have all your facts right and that you know what you are talking about.

Thanks
Kamran


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jamshid

Golsorkhi

by jamshid on Sat May 24, 2008 05:39 AM PDT

The Islamic Republic of Iran...

... Brought to you by the likes of Golsorkhi.

Iran is where it is today, because we just can't stop worshiping those that have always brought the worst for our country.

Golsorkhi was a destroyer, not a builder. Today we know what a bankrupt ideology he and his like wanted to impose on the people of Iran. He was brave, but so are those who blow themselves up in Iraq, and so are the members of Taliban.

Sadegh, you wrote, "To this day Iranians of all ideological persuasions ... praise on Golsorkhi's point-blank refusal to turn his back on his executioners..."

Please speak for yourself only. I don't praise anything in that man, and I am not alone.


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Ben Madadi

Thanks!

by Ben Madadi on Sat May 24, 2008 03:11 AM PDT

I really enjoyed this video. Thank you!


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Ali P.

Brave indeed

by Ali P. on Fri May 23, 2008 11:23 PM PDT

  The man became the hero of the Left at the time for his bravery, by all accounts. From what I understand, his charge was conspiracy to kidnap the members of the Royal family; a charge, he could have easily denied. He, however, took his trial as an  opportunity to make speeches against the regime.

  The judge's interruption of his speech makes for a dramatic moment, but from a legal point of view, the judge was right in stopping him.

 At the end of the day, though, he is remembered as the champion of people, where the trial is viewed as a mock trial, with a predetermined verdict.


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