1979: Four Generals of the Shah

Shortly before midnight this date in 1979, Iranian royalist Generals Mehdi Rahimi, Reza Naji, Manuchehr Khosrodad, and Nematollah Nassiri were shot in a Tehran school courtyard after a snap trial by the newborn Iranian revolutionary regime.

General Mehdi Rahimi.

The Iranian Revolution had only just overthrown the remains of the absconded Shah’s regime; the country observes the “Decade of Fajr” over the first 11 days of February, commemorating the “Dawn” of the Islamic Republic from the return of Ayatollah Khomeini to the fall of the luckless loyalists installed by Pahlavi on his way out the door.

In this uncertain situation, the new regime seized its newfound authority … violently.

General Rahimi — probably the most voluptuously eulogized of the bunch — still pulls tribute for his loyalty to the collapsing monarchy, and his salute to the Shah even when in revolutionary custody.

Lower-profile to posterity, Naji had once governed Isfahan under martial law; Khosrodad was a general of the air force; and Nassiri headed the hated secret police SAVAK.

All were convicted of the catch-all charge of “corruption on earth” (just imagine what they’d do with the banksters!), and upon a quick confirmation of sentence from Khomeini, immediately shot. (Their property was also confiscated.)


See? Shot.

The notorious hanging judge who chaired the drumhead tribunal later recalled in his memoirs

The first people I tried and punished for their deeds were Nematollah Nasiri, head of SAVAK, and Khosrodad, air force commander; Naji, martial law administrator of Esfahan, and Rahimi, martial law administrator of Tehran and head of police force. … All the people who were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Tribunals were the best examples of ‘corruptor on earth’ and they were executed as such.

A Corruptor on earth is a person who contributes to spreading and expanding corruption on earth. Corruption is what leads to the decline, destruction and the deviation of society from its nature. People who were executed had strived in spreading corruption and prostitution, circulating heroin, opium and licentious behavior, atheism, murder, betrayal, flattery, and, in sum, all these vile qualities. These people’s problems were aggravated by the fact that they did not repent once they saw the people’s revolution.

I believed at the time, and I still believe, that all the parliamentarians and senators, all governors, heads of SAVAK and police, who held office after 1963 and the Imam’s boycott, should be sentenced to death. High-ranking ministry officials who were instrumental in the survival of the [Shah’s] apparatus and who, for getting close to the Shah and his family, would accept any humiliation are all convicted (condemned).

To sum up, all the people that I condemned and who were executed in the early days of the establishment of the Revolutionary Tribunals and later in the Qasr prison were all corruptors on earth and, based on the Quran, their blood was a waste.

(The executions were announced on February 16, and that date is sometimes cited as the execution date. Feb. 15 appears to be more strongly attested to me. Whatever the clock said, these men’s deaths marked the start of a juridical bloodbath.)

On this day..

16 thoughts on “1979: Four Generals of the Shah

  1. As the US Army Special Forces adviser to then Col Khossrodad, in 1966-69, I can testify that I seldom met a more patriotic gentleman in my life. It broke my heart to see how he was treated by the Revolutionary Council. He was right about religion in politics, not much different than the Inquisition.

  2. These “generals” were responsible for crime against people of Iran.
    My father nearly died in Savak’s prison. He was a student in Tehran during the revolution and was arrested for attending the funeral of a classmate who was killed during a protest rally. The funeral was held at the dead student’s home and not a public place.

    • Arshiya , you must read history and know the truth. These are Army officers not responsible for your dad. Please don’t make very uneducated comment.

    • Shame on you Arshiya. Shame on you…
      May you and your father burn in hell till eternity for the disgrace that you bring to not only yourself but all Patriotic Iranians for making such inflammatory uninformed and misleading statements and lies against 4 of the most patriots Iran ever had in its long history.

    • Arshiya… are you kidding me or are you a Mojahed/Basiji?

      My father was an communist at age of 13 and when the CIA-MI staged revolution succeeded, he was 25 and 6 years a regional comm leader in province of Fars. He always carried a sidearm and had an AK under his drivers seat. He had 6 armed conflicts with the police/savak, 3 times he was arrested and each time they (savak) DID NOT even hit him once!!! Not even once!!! In stead, SAVAK tried to convince him that he and his ideology is wrong! And Arshiya’s father nearly died because of joining some protests? Are you kidding me? LIAR!

      I hear a lot of lies from still being marxists. They always say “well.. as a student I wrote an article and SAVAK arrested me and tortured me…”, all lies…

      Nowadays, my father is the biggest supporter of SHAH and he regrets his stupid actions and never forgive himself for the stupid uprising and what they did to Iran and Iranians.
      Those generals, they will live in Iranian hearts forever, they were real man, real heroes.. may their souls rest in peace!

  3. As a former IIA/IRIAF pilot and officer, I regret not staying loyal to his majesty and believing a liar like khomenie. Under his majesty our country was on the up and making gains. now not so much. \

    Khoda, Shah, Mihan.

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  8. I WAS 14 AT THAT TIME & I SAW IT ALL.
    AS FAR AS I HAVE STUDIED TRUE HISTORY,THESE PEPOLE WERE AS GREAT AS GREAT ANTOWNET,GREAT AS LINCONE,GREAT AS ZAR 1917,GREAT AS KENEDY 1963.
    YOU SEE WE NEVER LEARND GREAT HISTORY FROM THESE GREAT MEN (LIONS) ON THE EARTH & MANY MANY MORE LIKE THEM.
    I TOLD YOU I WAS THERE,MEHDI RAHEEMI SAID IN COURT & DIED FOR IT,HE SAID
    TILL SHAH IS KING,I AM HIS SERVENT & I AM PROUD OF THAT.
    NOW YOU TELL ME IS NOT THIS A TRUE PEATERASTIC MAN,OFCOURSE
    I,LL TAKE MY HAT OUT FOR HIM.
    LOOK IT IS MUCH MORE THAN MEET THE EYE.
    OUR LORD & GOD CHRISTALMIGHTY SAID
    ,,,YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH & TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE,,,
    GOD YARHAMO ALL THE DECESED LIONS,,,

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  10. your ‘analysis’ is pure bullshit….
    you are a fool if you think you are an ‘expert’ on iran!

    these men were victims of the biggest setup in recent history-
    the shah made the mistake of not exterminating the mullahs in 63 before they unleashed hell on iran.

    keep your crap to yourself, and learn to respect these great men

    • yes……….they were victims…II was acquainted
      with one of them………….this is tragic……..

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