Report of the 18th Conference
On Saturday, October 24, 2011, the Iranian Political Prisoners Association (in Exile) – Stockholm Branch held a gathering to mark the 23rd anniversary of the massacre of political prisoners in the 1960s at the Hussey Bi-Torff Assembly Hall in Stockholm. At this gathering, Fariba Sabet, a political prisoner of the 1960s and author of the book “Prison Memories”, Ahmad Mousavi, a political prisoner of the 1960s and author of the book “Good Night, Comrade”, Iraj Mosadaghi, a political prisoner of the 1960s and author of the book “Neither Living nor Dying”, and Mehdi Aslani, a political prisoner of the 1960s and author of the book “The Crow and the Red Rose”, discussed and examined various, unspoken and hidden aspects of the mass executions and killings of political prisoners in the 1960s, and explained the external aspects of the mass executions and killings of thousands of political prisoners in the 1960s and their political impact on society and the people, especially the families of the deceased and future generations.
Each of the speakers, from their own perspective and political stance, explored the dark corners of the killing of political prisoners in the 1960s. The diversity of the speakers’ theories and perspectives on the destructive effects of the killing of political prisoners on society greatly enriched the discussions at this gathering, and despite the large volume of discussions and the tight time constraints, it impressed more than three hundred participants in the gathering who came from different cities in Sweden and European countries.
The impact of the mass executions of the early 1960s and the killing of political prisoners in the summer of 1967 on Iranian society and political history has been so extensive that it will affect progressive, justice-seeking, and egalitarian social movements for generations to come. The Stockholm Conference, with the cooperation of the speakers, succeeded in opening a window for future research on this issue. The killing of political prisoners in the 1960s has had a profound impact on social movements and has set back the idealistic and revolutionary struggles of the current generation. This important issue could be clearly seen in the discussions held at the conference, which the speakers, drawing on their knowledge and historical experiences and examining the killings of the 1960s, correctly presented.
In the artistic section of the gathering, Iraj Jannati-Azaei, a renowned songwriter, playwright, and prominent theater director, recited poetry, and Nader and his artistic colleagues, as well as young singer Hooman, performed music.
Iranian Political Prisoners’ Association (in exile) – Stockholm Branch