A wide range of victims of human rights violations fall into the category of “enforced disappearances”. From Argentine political prisoners who were thrown out of airplanes into the sea during the “Dirty War” of 1976-1983, to the victims of the massacre of political prisoners in Iran in the summer of 1988; the disappeared are individuals whose fate, and in fact the way they were killed, is shrouded in ambiguity. Governments that engage in secret killings of their opponents may have different ideological origins, but their goals and methods in covering up their crimes have many similarities.

First, committing crimes in secret allows the government to completely deny their occurrence. Human rights mechanisms require evidence and documented proof to hold perpetrators accountable for human rights violations. When a government commits widespread crimes away from the eyes of domestic and international observers, collecting necessary evidence to prove the occurrence of those crimes becomes extremely difficult. Seeking justice for the families of victims without having access to their bodies and at least knowing their burial location is a daunting and time-consuming process, requiring a lot of effort to solve the puzzle of the crime.

The execution of extrajudicial killings also allows the government to absolve itself of responsibility and blame lower-level officials or “rogue” individuals for the crime when it is exposed. However, the executioners themselves also participate in these crimes with even more certainty. Without evidence, it is very difficult to prove the involvement of a specific individual in a massacre. The main witnesses of the crime are often the victims who are unable to testify against the perpetrators.

The reality is that the secrecy of governments and their actions to deceive observers and cover up the truth has been successful. Although the occurrence of massacres eventually becomes evident, the extent of it, the fate of the victims, as well as the identity of the perpetrators and their exact role will be difficult to uncover.

The case of the “Dirty War” in Argentina shows that even after a relatively short period of time, it is difficult to uncover the truth about the massacre and its dimensions. During the military dictatorship regime in Argentina, which lasted only seven years (1976-1983), thousands of political prisoners were killed. Although a democratic government took over after this seven-year period, the details of what happened are still unclear. For example, there is a huge discrepancy in the number of victims, with estimates ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 people.

After 42 years since the establishment of the Islamic Republic and without a clear vision for the possibility of establishing a democratic government in the near future, it becomes increasingly difficult to uncover the truth about the disappeared victims of the Islamic Republic’s brutal regime. The perpetrators and accomplices of crimes such as the 1367 massacre are gradually passing away, taking their secrets to the grave. Documents and evidence are also at risk of being destroyed over time.

Even in the event of the fall of the Islamic Republic and the establishment of criminal courts and truth-finding commissions, the exact fate of many disappeared victims will remain shrouded in ambiguity.