August 17, 2018

In 2017, officials of Vadi-e Rahmat cemetery,Tabriz, poured concrete over some part of the graveyard. Those areas contained the individual graves of political prisoners, executed in the 1980s, and also potentially  the mass grave of those killed during the 1988 massacre. Later, a concrete-covered open area and the platform was built on the site’s lower side which is now used for holding official ceremonies. The grave site of political prisoners is kept hidden from public access and view.

People visiting the graves at Vadi-e Rahmat cemetery are mostly unaware that political prisoners are buried in that area.

Mass graves and disappeared individuals buried therein constitute a part of the history of Iran which has been censored, hidden, and distorted by the authorities. Mass grave sites should be preserved as crime scenes until investigation can be carried out by independent experts.

Wherever we are, we should not let the grave sites of political prisoners be destroyed and some part of our history be covered with concrete to make a parade field. We should take action. We can visit the place and  talk to people we know about its history. We must take photos and videos of the site and publish them through social media platforms to inform those with no access to the cemetery.

If in Tabriz, you can visit the suspected mass grave site at Vadi-e Rahmat Cemetery. There you will see a part of your homeland’s history under the threat of demolishion. The site is located in the Children’s Section, near the entrance to the cemetery.

The exact location of the suspected mass grave site on Google Map

• Take photos and videos of the site and contribute to preserving history and facts.
• Share photos and videos on your social media accounts, or send them to us to be published under your name or anonymously.
• Write down and publish how you felt when visiting the site.
• Recommend your friends to go to the place and take photos and videos of the gravesite. Through collective resistance, we will not let a part of our history be forgotten and stand in solidarity with the families of victims.

Click on this page for more information about the mass grave site in Vadi-e Rahmat cemetery.