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Washington, 25 January (IranVNC)—The rights group headed by Iranian Nobel peace laureate, Shirin Ebadi, today condemned the reported destruction of a southern Tehran grave site, where victims of an alleged mass execution of political prisoners lay buried.

“The Human Rights Defenders Center condemns this ugly and appalling act and notes that everyone including the authorities is required to maintain the dignity of the dead,” the group said in a statement, according to AFP.

According to Amnesty International, the numerous ad-hoc grave markings at the Khavaran cemetery made by the families of some of those executed between August 1988 and February 1989, were destroyed earlier this month by bulldozer and partially covered by soil and trees.

Last week, Amnesty International called on Iran to stop the reported destruction, saying it would impede the investigation of the so-called “prison massacres” - the wave of executions between August 1988 and February 1989 which is believed to have killed between 4,500 and 10,000 political prisoners.

The reported destruction of the grave site has also sparked outcry from dissident Iranian cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Montazeri.

“There were some convicted to one year in jail and they were executed and now they crackdown on their graves as well and create problems for their families. Who are these people who act this way?” Montazeri said, according to his website.

He made t... >>>